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The drive behind it is to ensure that all products and services follow Islamic principles, commonly referred to as being 'Sharia compliant'. Put simply, the main focus is on avoiding interest - or usury - which is against Islamic law and therefore forbidden in retail banking services or more sophisticated products.

But it also means there's a vetting process involved in investments of any sort. Anything linked to the sale of alcohol, pork, tobacco, pornography or gambling are viewed as unacceptable investments. Moreover, short selling, derivatives and the use of leverage are also frowned upon.

Two of the most common Islamic finance terms you'll hear are 'sukuk' and 'takaful'.

The former is the Arabic name for financial certificates, but usually refers to Islamic bonds. In contrast to conventional bonds, sukuks are not viewed as a loan, but rather the issuer is seen to be offering investors the chance to partially own a debt. These can be based around assets, projects, businesses or investments. Once issued, sukuks can be listed on exchanges and are often tradable.

It is, of course, possible to make money through Islamic finance. The fundamental rule, though, is that an investment is based on a tangible asset or commodity - there are buyers and sellers, not borrowers and lenders.

Takaful is the term which describes the Islamic insurance industry, which takes a communal approach, and removes the uncertainly and interest associated with conventional insurance. It works as a pooling system, whereby members contribute money to a pool that guarantees a pay out in the event of loss or damage..

In order to ensure compliance, most Islamic institutions need the services of specialist Sharia scholars.. They are often employed in a consultancy capacity, rather than full-time because they're in relatively short supply.

Careers in Islamic finance generally mirror those of the conventional financial sector. Depending on their specialisation, Islamic finance institutions will recruit investment bankers, retail bankers, investment specialists, corporate bankers, product managers and relationship managers. The key is to fashion products in a Sharia-compliant way.

It is possible for finance professionals with experience in conventional products to educate themselves in Sharia law, and there are an increasing number of university courses that combine technical skills with Islamic principles due to a rise in Islamic finance recruitment.

Big Four consultancy firms also offer advisory services to Islamic financial institutions or those firms offering Islamic products. Large law firms increasingly have Islamic finance practices and many banks recruit specialist solicitors in-house.

Finally, the asset management industry offers Sharia-compliant funds facilitating the process for investors, and there's an increasing proliferation of indexes, such as the FTSE Sharia Global Equity Index and the Dow Jones Islamic Market Index.