The rapid expansion of Islamic finance is no surprise to anyone familiar with the global financial markets, representing as it does one of the fastest-growing and most exciting sectors in the world. Over the past decade, the industry has seen an exceptional growth spurt, with its influence expanding to encompass multiple markets across the globe. And although Southeast Asia and the Middle East remain stalwart pioneers of the industry, the last few years have seen a seismic shift in global attitudes as the fundamental strengths of Islamic finance and its moral, ethical, and practical advantages become increasingly apparent.

Not only are we seeing new Muslim markets such as Oman, Nigeria, and a plethora of other states enter the industry, but, excitingly, recent years have also marked the entry of non-Muslim majority markets as western nations such as the United Kingdom and Luxembourg also stake their interest in participation. This represents a landmark moment, as the momentum of the past decade gathers pace and the industry finally looks to be hitting real competitive scale.

Whether Muslim or non-Muslim, Asian or Arab, developed nation or emerging market, Islamic finance is now able to offer a real, viable, and ethical alternative to a conventional system that so many feel has failed them on both a material and ethical level. Much of this success can be attributed to the ongoing promotion of the industry by its practitioners, who tirelessly work to encourage and disseminate the advantages of Islamic finance to new investors across the world.

In this 2014 edition of The Islamic Finance Handbook, REDmoney Group identified the need for a specialized publication that illustrates, analyzes, and evaluates the performance of the Islamic finance industry in each country in each sector. We bring you the industry from every angle and the point of view of every location: providing a comprehensive introduction to every established and up-and-coming Islamic market from a practitioner's perspective.

Focusing on the current climate and future potential, the book is a practical and factual guide to the real Islamic finance industry and uses real-life cases to provide a genuine and authentic picture of the current state of the sector: where it stands now and where it is going.

The book is structured in a chapter-by-chapter layout, with one chapter for each major Islamic finance jurisdiction in alphabetical order to ensure ease of use and reader reference. From the industry stalwarts of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Bahrain to new trailblazers such as Tanzania, Australia, and Oman, and from the vast potential in heavy economic hitters such as Japan and China to the burgeoning growth across North Africa and central Asia, this book offers expert analysis from the most experienced industry leaders in every region and from every field—from academic professors to central bankers to industry CEOs to leading lawyers—and covers topics such as the macro- and microeconomic climate, the regulatory and political situation, key market participants, the investor landscape, and much more.

Dr. Hassan Hussain of Dar Al Sharia provides a valuable foreword to the new edition, while renowned Shari'ah experts Daud Vicary Abdullah and Mohd-Pisal Zainal of INCEIF provide an authoritative introduction to 33 chapters, encompassing the global landscape of an industry inspirational not only for its performance but also for its principles. REDmoney is proud to present such a comprehensive addition to the global Islamic finance library.