Draft Ramtan System for Health Services
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Fatwa No. ( 18067 )
Q: We are a Saudi organization operating in the field of trade, and we wish to establish a company aimed at mutual cooperation in covering treatment expenses and some surgical operations for citizens and other Muslims in the Kingdom, guided by what the noble Islamic Shari'ah permits, which we hope will serve as a sound alternative to the conventional health insurance offered by commercial insurance companies. We are attaching to Your Eminence a presentation of the company's objectives
The company, and its method of operation, hoping that your time allows for reviewing it and guiding us in a way that achieves this goal, which has become a pressing need for many people, given the rising costs of treatment and the variety of its forms. The company's objectives are as follows: The company's concept is to achieve mutual support and cooperation through donations to meet the health needs of citizens, based on principles that do not conflict with the Islamic Shari'ah (the principle of cooperation in dispersing risks). The company's elements are based on the following foundations: 1 - Establishing a fund that represents the company's legal personality, funded by individuals with legal personal standing, containing cash amounts available on demand to cover the health needs of the participating contributor, including therapeutic services and surgical operations (within limits and conditions regulated by the company's management), ensuring that therapeutic assistance is provided to each participant equally and fairly with other participants, without leading to a deficit in the fund's assets that would undermine its objectives and the principle of fair and equal risk-sharing for all participants. 2 - Method of funding: An annual amount is determined that the individual contributes, called a "share," paid at the beginning of each year, and the principle of the share's independence from each family member applies,
and the contribution of each family member and its value are determined according to the assessment of each individual's need for expected health services. The shares of a single family are collected in a unified subscription form, detailing the value of each share for each individual, bearing a single family number, and a fixed cost is added to the share values for opening the form (as wages for workers on the fund), not to exceed one hundred and fifty riyals per form. 3 - The company opens known and announced offices in the main regions of the Kingdom, and other regions according to the need following the density of participants in its shares in each region. 4 - The company contracts with the best hospitals and treatment centers in the private sector throughout the Kingdom to provide the highest quality services based on health and administrative standards agreed upon between the hospital and the company, for every holder of a member subscription form in the company. 5 - The individual (each holder of an independent form) receives a therapeutic visit coupon for two times a year for any hospital or treatment center, and the company bears all treatment expenses resulting
from this coupon under the agreement mentioned in the previous paragraph, and the family receives a number of coupons not less than six and not more than ten for the same purpose. 6 - The company bears the full costs of minor operations, such as: (to be determined by a medical committee) for every holder of a paid subscription form. 7 - The participating contributor is given the option to receive from the company coverage for major operation costs inside the Kingdom and outside it, within a limit not exceeding ten thousand US dollars and not less than seven thousand five hundred US dollars, which entails: paying an additional amount on the value of the form under the name: (Major Operations Share), to be determined after study. 8 - The company commits to returning 25% of the surplus of the company fund's assets after each annual budget to every participating contributor who did not receive therapeutic services or operation coverage, and the right of every participating contributor to receive this percentage is forfeited in the case of using the treatment coupons (all or some of them). 9 - The company's budget is issued annually by a legal accountant and presented
to any participating contributor who requests it. 10 - After the return of the aforementioned percentage, the remaining surplus is considered administrative expenses for the company and wages for workers and supervisors, including the founders, and future expansion costs for its services.
A: The "Ramtan" project for health services, according to the paragraphs observed above, is a type of health insurance, which is carried out by commercial insurance companies, regarding which a decision was issued by the Council of Senior Scholars, and a decision by the Islamic Fiqh Academy of the Muslim World League, and the Islamic Fiqh Academy in Jeddah, and fatwas from the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta prohibiting commercial insurance in all its types and forms, whether on lives, properties, or others. Therefore, the Committee issued a fatwa that the idea of the "Ramtan" office for health services is not permissible in the Shari'ah; because of the excessive uncertainty, risk, and consuming people's wealth unjustly, and Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, says:[Al-Ma'idah 5:2]
Q: We are a Saudi organization operating in the field of trade, and we wish to establish a company aimed at mutual cooperation in covering treatment expenses and some surgical operations for citizens and other Muslims in the Kingdom, guided by what the noble Islamic Shari'ah permits, which we hope will serve as a sound alternative to the conventional health insurance offered by commercial insurance companies. We are attaching to Your Eminence a presentation of the company's objectives
The company, and its method of operation, hoping that your time allows for reviewing it and guiding us in a way that achieves this goal, which has become a pressing need for many people, given the rising costs of treatment and the variety of its forms. The company's objectives are as follows: The company's concept is to achieve mutual support and cooperation through donations to meet the health needs of citizens, based on principles that do not conflict with the Islamic Shari'ah (the principle of cooperation in dispersing risks). The company's elements are based on the following foundations: 1 - Establishing a fund that represents the company's legal personality, funded by individuals with legal personal standing, containing cash amounts available on demand to cover the health needs of the participating contributor, including therapeutic services and surgical operations (within limits and conditions regulated by the company's management), ensuring that therapeutic assistance is provided to each participant equally and fairly with other participants, without leading to a deficit in the fund's assets that would undermine its objectives and the principle of fair and equal risk-sharing for all participants. 2 - Method of funding: An annual amount is determined that the individual contributes, called a "share," paid at the beginning of each year, and the principle of the share's independence from each family member applies,
and the contribution of each family member and its value are determined according to the assessment of each individual's need for expected health services. The shares of a single family are collected in a unified subscription form, detailing the value of each share for each individual, bearing a single family number, and a fixed cost is added to the share values for opening the form (as wages for workers on the fund), not to exceed one hundred and fifty riyals per form. 3 - The company opens known and announced offices in the main regions of the Kingdom, and other regions according to the need following the density of participants in its shares in each region. 4 - The company contracts with the best hospitals and treatment centers in the private sector throughout the Kingdom to provide the highest quality services based on health and administrative standards agreed upon between the hospital and the company, for every holder of a member subscription form in the company. 5 - The individual (each holder of an independent form) receives a therapeutic visit coupon for two times a year for any hospital or treatment center, and the company bears all treatment expenses resulting
from this coupon under the agreement mentioned in the previous paragraph, and the family receives a number of coupons not less than six and not more than ten for the same purpose. 6 - The company bears the full costs of minor operations, such as: (to be determined by a medical committee) for every holder of a paid subscription form. 7 - The participating contributor is given the option to receive from the company coverage for major operation costs inside the Kingdom and outside it, within a limit not exceeding ten thousand US dollars and not less than seven thousand five hundred US dollars, which entails: paying an additional amount on the value of the form under the name: (Major Operations Share), to be determined after study. 8 - The company commits to returning 25% of the surplus of the company fund's assets after each annual budget to every participating contributor who did not receive therapeutic services or operation coverage, and the right of every participating contributor to receive this percentage is forfeited in the case of using the treatment coupons (all or some of them). 9 - The company's budget is issued annually by a legal accountant and presented
to any participating contributor who requests it. 10 - After the return of the aforementioned percentage, the remaining surplus is considered administrative expenses for the company and wages for workers and supervisors, including the founders, and future expansion costs for its services.
A: The "Ramtan" project for health services, according to the paragraphs observed above, is a type of health insurance, which is carried out by commercial insurance companies, regarding which a decision was issued by the Council of Senior Scholars, and a decision by the Islamic Fiqh Academy of the Muslim World League, and the Islamic Fiqh Academy in Jeddah, and fatwas from the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta prohibiting commercial insurance in all its types and forms, whether on lives, properties, or others. Therefore, the Committee issued a fatwa that the idea of the "Ramtan" office for health services is not permissible in the Shari'ah; because of the excessive uncertainty, risk, and consuming people's wealth unjustly, and Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, says:
And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.
وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلاَ تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.