It's not often that God and financial services are mentioned together in one sentence but Iana Financial's mission statement is an exception: "Towards God-centred community financial services, for the common good." Since 2009, the Edmonton, Alberta based organization has provided interest-free loans across Canada and the world to relieve people of the burden of usury and to help them pursue their goals.

Of all the things that observant Muslims try to avoid, interest is the most challenging. It seems impossible to get by in today's world without it. How do you finance your education, buy a home, start a business or get out of a jam when you can't borrow money with interest? What does Islam say about it? Is all interest bad? What is interest for? How does it work? What does it do to people and society?