He worked for several years as an Economic Advisor for the Central Bank of Bahrain where he had numerous Islamic banking responsibilities, and has taught courses on Islamic banking and finance at a range of financial institutions including the World Bank, National Commercial Bank (Saudi Arabia), Global Investment House (Kuwait), Noor Islamic Bank (UAE), the UK Treasury, the Central Bank of Iran, the Central Bank of Syria, the Securities Investment Institute, the Institute for Financial Services and Scotland Yard.

Brian's vast academic expertise in Islamic finance is highlighted by his role as Joint Editor of the Islamic Finance Qualification Handbook and his past teaching work at a number of top universities worldwide including the London School of Economics, the City University of Hong Kong and London Metropolitan University Business School.

Brian's impressive list of publications include over 100 articles in journals, business magazines and the financial press including Islamic Business and Finance, Islamic Banking and Finance, the Central Banking Journal, Euromoney, the Securities Journal and the International Currency Review. He has also published 16 books on banking and financial markets and is the author of Islamic Capital Markets and Introduction to Islamic Banking and Finance.

Brian can be contacted at [...]

Introduction vii

1 What is Islamic Banking? 1

2 If Islamic Banks Cannot Charge Interest 23
How Do They Make Money?

3 Sharia'a Law 83
It is Not Only Lawyers Who Need to Know About It

4 Sharia'a Boards 97
Roles, Responsibility and Membership

5 Financial Statement Analysis for Islamic Banks 121

6 The Islamic Banking Infrastructure 167

Appendix 1 How Much Arabic do You Need to Know to Work in the Islamic Banking Industry? 199

Appendix 2 Thee Top 500 Islamic Financial Institutions 235

Crossword 333

Index 335