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Islamic finance is presently one of the most discussed topics of Islamic economics. Literature on the subject and practice of Islamic finance has increased considerably in recent years; a large number of it is characterized as non-original and repetitive. In his work Islamic Finance: Law, Economics, and Practice, Professor Mahmoud El-Gamal, as he himself claims, attempted ‘a qualitative overview of the practice of Islamic finance and the historical roots that have defined its modes of operation ’ (p. xi). The author is Professor at Rice University, where he holds the endowed Chair in Islamic Economics, Finance and Management. He has numerous publications to his credit in the areas of econometrics, finance, experimental economics, and Islamic law and finance. The book is divided into ten chapters, in addition to a brief conclusion. The first chapter is an introduction which starts with a story of Martin Luther and a cobbler to whom the former advised to sell a good shoe at a fair price rather than a "Christian shoe". This sets the perspective for the whole book. To the author's mind, 'the term "Islamic finance " brings an analogy to the concept of