INDIA to get its first Islamic bank – Kerala government gets Reserve Bank of India (RBI) nod for Islamic banking

'Islamic Banking' is a banking system that is based on the principles of Islamic law (also known Shariah) and guided by Islamic economics. Two basic principles behind Islamic banking are the sharing of profit and loss and, significantly, the prohibition of the collection and payment of interest. Collecting interest is not permitted under Islamic law. Islamic Banks in the 20th Century: In 1963, in MitGhamr, in Egypt, the first Islamic interest-free bank came into being. Mit Ghamr was a rural area and the people were religious. They did not place their savings in any bank, knowing that interest was forbidden in Islam. In these circumstances, the task was not only to respect Islamic values concerning interest, but also to educate the people about the use of banking. The following types of accounts were accepted: Savings accounts Investment accounts Zakat accounts No interest was paid on savings accounts, but withdrawals could be made on demand. Small, short-term, interest-free loans for productive purposes could be made. Funds in investment accounts were subject to restricted withdrawals and invested on the basis of profit- sharing. The zakat account attracted the official amount ofzakat.