Islamic law, or Shariah, is more than just a code of ethics for those of the Muslim faith; it is an all-encompassing guide on how to lead a life compliant with the teachings of the Qur’an, the central religious text of Islam. Shariah extends to all aspects of life, even governing financial operations and how individuals can invest money.

This might seem to be nothing more than an interesting cultural aside if not for the growing interest in investment in the Islamic world, fueled in large part by the explosion in "petro dollars" in recent years, and not entirely derailed by the collapse in energy prices and the financial panic of the past several months. Over the past two years especially, financial firms have sought to create products to appeal to this long-overlooked segment of the investment marketplace. It’s a challenging task given the niceties of religious interpretation, but a few general guidelines nonetheless exist.