A comprehensive look at the innovations, applications, and best practices of Islamic finance
Islamic-compliant finance is transacted in every major world financial center, and the need for information on the topic in light of its global reach has grown exponentially. As an expert in this field, author Karen Hunt-Ahmed understands the intricacies of this area of the capital markets. Now, along with the help of a number of experienced contributors, she skillfully addresses Islamic finance from the perspective of practitioners, examining issues in wealth management, contract law, private equity, asset management, and much more.
Engaging and accessible, Contemporary Islamic Finance skillfully explains the practices and innovations of Islamic finance in everything from banking and real estate to private equity, asset management, and many other areas. It is intended to be the go-to resource for both Muslims as well as non-Muslims with an interest in the subject. Divided into three comprehensive parts, it will put you in a better position to understand, and excel at, this important endeavor.
* Introduces you to the history, legal structures, and basic financial contracts in the industry
* Highlights the various issues facing contemporary Islamic finance practitioners, and details their significance in the contemporary financial and cultural environment
* Includes case studies of United States-based transactions and related challenges and successes
Filled with in-depth insights and expert advice, this detailed analysis of Contemporary Islamic Finance will help you gain a firm understanding of how effective this proven approach can be.

Acknowledgments xi

1 Introduction: Islamic Finance in the World Economy 1
Karen Hunt-Ahmed

PART I The Contemporary Islamic Finance Landscape

2 Contemporary Islamic Economic Thought 19
Mohammad Omar Farooq

3 The Legal Framework of Islamic Finance 39
Cynthia Shawamreh

4 Globalization and Islamic Finance: Flows and Consciousness 63
Karen Hunt-Ahmed

5 Islamic Science and the Critique of Neoclassical Economic Theory 75
Waleed El-Ansary

6 Juristic Disagreement: The Collective Fatwa Against Islamic Banking in Pakistan 103
Shoaib A. Ghias

7 Managing Liquidity Risk in Islamic Finance 121
Dr. Muhammad Al-Bashir Muhammad Al-Amine

8 Elements of Islamic Wealth Management 147
Paul Wouters

9 Sukuk and the Islamic Capital Markets: An Introduction 165
Michael J. T. McMillen

10 Shari'a-Compliant Mutual Funds 189
Monem Salam

11 The Evolution of Shari'ah-Compliant Indexes and Why They Outperform Conventional Indexes over the Long Term 195
Tariq Al-Rifai

12 Takaful 203
Farrukh Siddiqui

13 Islamic Human Resources Practices 215
William Marty Martin

14 An Integrated Islamic Poverty Alleviation Model 223
Ali Ashraf and M. Kabir Hassan

15 How Does an Islamic Microfinance Model Play the Key Role in Poverty Alleviation? The European Perspective 245
Sabur Mollah and M. Hamid Uddin

PART II Case Studies

16 Islamic Finance in an Almost Postcrisis and Postrevolutionary World: As in Politics, All Islamic Finance Is Local 257
Mark Smyth

17 Stepping Forward, Backward, or Just Standing Still? A Case Study in Shifting Islamic Financial Structures Offshore 267
Umar F. Moghul

18 Islamic Mortgages 283
David Loundy

19 Shari'a Quality Rating 293
Nasir Ali Merchant

20 Islamic Mutual Funds' Performance in Saudi Arabia 303
Hesham Merdad and M. Kabir Hassan

21 Shari'ah-Compliant Real Estate Investment in the United States 323
John L. Opar

22 Risk and Derivatives in Islamic Finance: A Shariah Analysis 331
Dr. Muhammad Al-Bashir Muhammad Al-Amine

23 Islamic Microfinance 353
Blake Goud

About the Editor 367

Index 369

DR. KAREN HUNT-AHMED is a lecturer at DePaul University. She is currently teaching Islamic finance, microfinance, management, and business ethics. Dr. Hunt-Ahmed is also a Faculty Fellow of DePaul's Egan Urban Center as well as the president of the Chicago Islamic Microfinance Project, a not-for-profit economic development organization that provides Shari'ah-compliant microcredit to entrepreneurs in Chicago. Her research interests include culture and identity, financial empowerment, Islamic finance, microfinance, and the socialization of economic behavior. Dr. Hunt-Ahmed has worked in the banking sector in Chicago and in private equity in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. She received her BA and MBA from Washington University in St. Louis and her PhD from the University of Chicago. Dr. Hunt-Ahmed lives in Wilmette, Illinois, and enjoys karate. She lived in Dubai for many years and has traveled extensively in the Middle East, Pakistan, Africa, and Europe.