Musharakah is a joint enterprise or partnership structure in Islamic finance in which partners share in the profits and losses of an enterprise. Since Islamic law (Sharia) does not permit profiting from interest in lending, musharakah allows for the financier of a project or company to achieve a return in the form of a portion of the actual profits according to a predetermined ratio. However, unlike a traditional creditor, the financier also will share in any losses should they occur, also on a pro rata basis. Musharakah is a type of shirkah al-amwal (or partnership), which in Arabic means "sharing."