Islamic Mortgages

An Islamic mortgage is an interest free loan. The bank buys the property on behalf of the customer, and then resells it back to them at a fixed profit.

Islamic Sharia law prohibits the payment or receipt of interest, meaning that Muslims cannot use conventional mortgages.

However, real estate is far too expensive for most people to buy outright using cash: Islamic mortgages solve this problem by having the property change hands twice.

In one variation, the bank will buy the house and then act as a landlord. The homebuyer, in addition to paying rent, will pay a contribution towards the purchase of the property. When the last payment is made, the property changes hands.