This thoroughly updated and revised second edition analyses the ideas behind Islamic finance, the forms Islamic finance has taken in practice and the tension between the two that may occasionally arise. Along with an expanded section on the history of the ban on interest, this second edition...

The past decade has witnessed a surge in interest in the area of financial globalization and economic performance. This was stimulated by the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis after plans to adopt full capital account liberalization by IMF member states failed. Scholars have since focused on the...

Contents: Preface -- Introduction -- 1. Why Islamic finance? -- 2. Islamic law -- 3. The Islamic economy -- 4. Forms of Islamic finance -- 5. Islamic banks -- 6. Special sectors -- 7. Public finance, monetary policy and banking supervision -- 8. A tentative verdict and a question mark --...