Morabaha financing is the Islamic finance of transactions with known products and fixed maturity dates. Profit as agreed can be paid during the transaction or at maturity. The profit rate is always agreed before the transaction begins and hence cannot fluctuate (conventionally equivalent to fixed interest rate financing).
The finance institution will normally pay the proceeds of a Morabaha facility to the supplier of the goods being purchased. The buyer would pay profits and principal to the international financing institution at maturity. On occasions, the buyer's obligations may need to be guaranteed by a guarantor acceptable to the financing institution.
Morabaha financing is suitable for transactions of between one month and five years and would contain lockbox provisions.
Ijara financing is the Islamic equivalent to conventional lease financing. Ijara will be used when there are products that may be financed by a leasing structure such as shipping containers, vessels, etc.
The profit rate is re-fixed every three to six months as profit is paid and therefore may increase or decrease during the life of an Ijara facility.
The financing institution will usually require formal title (or a charge) over the underlying products being leased, however this is not always the case. Ijara financing would usually apply to transactions with tenors of between two and ten years.