Highlighting the impact of current globalization on financial markets, this topical book challenges the universality of Western property rights and interprets Islamic finance in Europe as part of a plural financial system, where different conceptions of economic justice(s) co-exist and influence each other. The contributing authors analyse key economic development and social integration issues from an Islamic perspective and outline the European approach to accommodating Islamic finance, with particular regard to the peculiarities of individual nation-states. Set in this context, the book presents financial pluralism as a device to enhance a level playing field in the global marketplace, as well as to foster a plural open society. Providing a comprehensive and methodological guide to Islamic finance in Europe, this book will prove an illuminating and informative read for academics, students and policymakers with an interest in the impact on financial regulation of an increasingly globalized world.

Islamic finance has started to grow in international finance across the globe, with some concentration in few countries. Nearly 20 percent annual growth of Islamic finance in recent years seems to point to its resilience and broad appeal, partly owing to principles that govern Islamic financial activities, including equity, participation, and ownership. In theory, Islamic finance is resilient to shocks because of its emphasis on risk sharing, limits on excessive risk taking, and strong link to real activities. Empirical evidence on the stability of Islamic banks, however, is so far mixed. While these banks face similar risks as conventional banks do, they are also exposed to idiosyncratic risks, necessitating a tailoring of current risk management practices. The macroeconomic policy implications of the rapid expansion of Islamic finance are far reaching and need careful considerations.

The phenomenal growth of Islamic finance in the last few decades has been accompanied by a host of interesting questions and challenges. One of the critical challenges is how Islamic financial institutions can be motivated to participate in the 'equity-like' profit-and-loss sharing (PLS) contracts. It is observed that Islamic banks are reluctant to participate in the pure PLS scheme which is manifested by the rising concentration of investment on murabaha or mark-up financing. This phenomenon has been the hotbed of academic criticism on the contemporary practice of Islamic banking. This book explains the 'murabaha syndrome' in light of the incentive provided by the current institutional framework and what are the changes required in the governance structure to mend this anomaly.

Among international financial centres (IFCs), London is known as the ‘Western hub of Islamic Finance’, on account of its well-developed legal infrastructure. However, Brexit has threatened London’s status and consequently, the financial services industry is moving to Dublin to continue operating in the Euro region. Similarly, Islamic finance (IF) service providers in the UK are also looking to Dublin for expansion of this niche area in euro member states. This is the first book to be written about Islamic finance operations in the Eurozone. The book offers an in-depth description of International Financial Centres and the growth of Islamic Finance, compares the growth of Islamic finance in London, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur, outlines the implications of Brexit for financial service providers in London in general and Islamic investors in particular and also presents a case study of Ireland to establish the latter as the most appropriate country to promote IF in the Eurozone. The time is particularly right for a book exploring the potential of Ireland to emerge as a Eurozone hub of Islamic finance, as a result of Britain’s exit from Europe. The book will cater to the needs of readers studying IF in the disciplines of economics, business, law, and religion. A secondary market includes practitioners, such as policymakers, lawyers, fund managers, accountants, regulators and international investors, who will be interested in exploring the benefits that the UK and Ireland have to offer the Islamic finance industry.

A detailed overview of Sharia-compliant finance—one of today’s most dynamic and influential sectors Islamic banks, which are becoming increasingly wealthier, are ever in search of sharia-compliant investments. In order to capitalize on this new development, investing professionals must familiarize themselves with this burgeoning investing method. Gulf Capital & Islamic Finance introduces bankers, money managers, and investors to the strategic and technical aspects of Islamic finance, covering a broad range of vehicles, including Islamic bonds, Sukuks, ETFs, and takaful (Islamic insurance). In an era of evaporating liquidity and endless adjustments to economic crises, Islamic finance is one of the few areas that continues to grow.

To truly understand the current interest in the development of Islamic banking and finance in South-East Asia and how it is different from the conventional banking system, one must first understand the religious relationship originating from the Qur'an, and then trace the historical geographic and political developments of Islam over recent centuries. Only on this basis can the reader, without prejudice or cynicism, begin to appreciate Shari'ah law and Islamic jurisprudence. With this platform established in the first part of the book, readers are invited to learn about the financial products and services offered, understand the challenges in their development, and ultimately recognize the significant opportunities that Islamic banking and finance can provide both Muslims and non-Muslims.This second edition contains updates of statistics and dates with regards to the development of Islamic banking in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei. In particular, the chapter on Singapore details significant developments such as the direction which major banks are taking towards Islamic banking and the increase in Islamic banking products being offered.Although written by a non-Muslim author, this highly-regarded book is being translated into Arabic by a leading Islamic university in the Middle East.

Although Islamic finance is one of the fastest growing segments of emerging global financial markets, its concepts are not fully exploited especially in the areas of economic development, inclusion, access to finance, and public policy. This volume is to improve understanding of the perspective of Islamic finance on economic development, social and economic justice, human welfare, and economic growth.

A detailed look at the fast-growing field of Islamic banking and finance The Art of Islamic Banking and Finance is a modern American take on what it means to incorporate Islamic finance principles into everyday banking and investment techniques by introducing a new brand of banking for all people of all faiths: The Riba-Free (RF) banking. The author is considered the father of RF (Islamic) banking in America. He has been a banker and an Imam/scholar for over 40 years in America since 1968. He started the tedious process with a finance company, LARIBA, in Pasadena, California in 1987. This is the first book ever in the field to trace the origins of prohibiting the renting of money at a price called interest rate and over-indulging in debt. The book reviews in great details the theological foundations of prohibiting interest in the Jewish Bible, the Christian Bible, and the Qur'aan. The author then discusses money and how fiat money is created, the role of the Federal Reserve, and the banking system in America. The book also discusses for the first time ever how to include an important aspect of RF (Islamic) finance using commodity indexation and marking the items to be financed to market in order to avoid participating in economic "bubbles." The author discusses how these rules work, how they affect consumer behavior, and how they change the role of the banker/financier. Covers a new pioneering model that is based on the Law (Shari'aa) and how it is applied in every transaction from joint ventures and portfolio management to home mortgages and personal financing Shows how to incorporate the Law (Shari'aa) into American financing and banking systems Points to RF (Islamic) finance and banking as a way to emphasize socially responsible investing The Art of Islamic Banking and Finance also includes a discussion on the emergence of a culture of RF (Islamic) banking and finance today, which is based on the real Judeo-Christian-Islamic spirit and very effective when compared to twentieth-century models that use financial engineering and structuring techniques to circumvent the Law (Shari'aa). The book also includes case studies based on the actual experience of the author and detailed analysis of the superior results realized by applying this new brand of banking to financing.

Annotation 'Islamic Finance' covers the application of Sharia law to the world of banking and finance and provides the reader with an understanding of the rationale behind the instruments and the development of Islamic financial markets.

This paper investigates the determinants of the pattern of Islamic bank diffusion around the world using country-level data for 1992 - 2006. The analysis illustrates that income per capita, share of Muslims in the population and status as an oil producer are linked to the development of Islamic banking, as are economic integration with Middle Eastern countries and proximity to Islamic financial centers. Interest rates have a negative impact on Islamic banking, reflecting the implicit benchmark for Islamic banks. The quality of institutions does not matter, probably because the often higher hurdle set by Shariah law trumps the quality of local institutions in most countries. The 9/11 attacks were not important to the diffusion of Islamic banking; but they coincided with rising oil prices, which are a significant factor in the diffusion of Islamic banking. Islamic banks also appear to be complements to, rather than substitutes for, conventional banks.