What is the ruling on participating in the existing insurance companies of all types? And if it is not permissible, what is the permissible insurance?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : In the name of Allah, and praise is to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions and whoever follows them. As for what follows:
There is, O Shaykh, a question about insurance; that is, the existing insurance companies, whether life insurance or insurance for houses or cars or the like; that is, is participating in these companies or insuring through them permissible? And if it is not permissible, what is the permissible Islamic insurance?
The Shaykh : As for the insurance known today for goods or cars or real estate, and especially life insurance; my belief, with firm conviction, is that it falls under the category of gambling (maysir) which is prohibited in the Noble Qur'an and in the hadiths of the Messenger (peace be upon him). As for the Qur'an, no one is ignorant of the saying of our Lord (Mighty and Majestic):[Al-Ma'idah 5:90] meaning: gambling [Al-Ma'idah 5:90].
The questioner : .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : .
The Shaykh[Al-Ma'idah 5:90] Yes, likewise it came in the hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad from the hadith of Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , and the kubba is the drum. So insurance today in all its forms and types is of the category of gambling, exactly like the lottery by which some Islamic countries have been afflicted. This type of gambling has been given names intended to cover up its matter and smooth over its affair for people with names that are, as He said (Glorified and Exalted is He): [An-Najm 53:23], and as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said specifically regarding intoxicants: . So insurance is a type of gambling like the lottery, named life insurance. Glory to Allah! Who is able to insure the life of a person when the whole matter is in the hand of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He)?! And so infer from the other types of insurance.
As for what came in the rest of the question: What is the prescribed or Islamic insurance?
In reality, I have not yet found insurance in the sense known today that Islam approves of, unless there is an exchange of benefit. And I do not mean by benefit what is called today riba (usury or interest), but I mean the linguistic benefit; if there is an exchange of benefits between the insurer and the one being insured, for example: a man insures his property, his house, and he obliges the one insuring him to guard the house, for example. In return for this guarding, a wage agreed upon may be paid; this is permissible because it is of the category of leasing and hiring. But insurance that is based on the idea of chance and the lottery is gambling itself.
Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : I did not understand, I did not understand what he is saying?
Another questioner : He says: In some countries, ownership is not renewed except with insurance.
The Shaykh : This is another matter; that in some countries it is not possible to allow the owner of a car to drive it and benefit from it except in exchange for insurance; either private or public insurance. This issue is another matter because it falls under the category of the many taxes imposed in some countries without a return from which the one taxed benefits. Therefore, the previous speech about insurance is in the context of what a person insures by his own choice. As for what is imposed on him by the state, its ruling is the ruling of all taxes imposed by the state that a person pays under compulsion and force. So this is one thing, and insurance paid by one's own will for a benefit he hopes for is another, and in reality, in most cases, it is as He said (Glorified and Exalted is He) in the Qur'an:[An-Nur 24:39].
The point is: that forced insurance is like taxes; it is sufficient for a person to know that he does not pay by choice but by necessity. As for the insurance that he chooses and seeks out, that is what is not permissible in Islam; because it is of the category of gambling and maysir.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : In this, we see a distinction. If what he paid equals what will be paid to him, then the state of this payer is[Yusuf 12:65]. But if what will be paid to him is more, then it is not permissible for him to take except what he paid.
Yes.
There is, O Shaykh, a question about insurance; that is, the existing insurance companies, whether life insurance or insurance for houses or cars or the like; that is, is participating in these companies or insuring through them permissible? And if it is not permissible, what is the permissible Islamic insurance?
The Shaykh : As for the insurance known today for goods or cars or real estate, and especially life insurance; my belief, with firm conviction, is that it falls under the category of gambling (maysir) which is prohibited in the Noble Qur'an and in the hadiths of the Messenger (peace be upon him). As for the Qur'an, no one is ignorant of the saying of our Lord (Mighty and Majestic):
intoxicants, gambling
إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُintoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters
إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالْأَنْصَابُThe questioner :
and the arrows of divination
وَالْأَزْلَامُThe Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner :
and the arrows of divination
وَالْأَزْلَامُThe Shaykh
and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan
وَالْأَزْلَامُ رِجْسٌ مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِIndeed, Allah has forbidden for my Ummah intoxicants, gambling, and the kubba
إن الله حرَّم على أمَّتي الخمر والمَيسر والكوبةThey are not but [mere] names you have named them - you and your forefathers - for which Allah has sent down no authority.
إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنْتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمْ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِنْ سُلْطَانٍThere will surely be among my Ummah people who drink intoxicants and call it by other than its name
ليكونَنَّ في أمَّتي أقوامٌ يشربون الخمر يُسمُّونها بغير اسمهاAs for what came in the rest of the question: What is the prescribed or Islamic insurance?
In reality, I have not yet found insurance in the sense known today that Islam approves of, unless there is an exchange of benefit. And I do not mean by benefit what is called today riba (usury or interest), but I mean the linguistic benefit; if there is an exchange of benefits between the insurer and the one being insured, for example: a man insures his property, his house, and he obliges the one insuring him to guard the house, for example. In return for this guarding, a wage agreed upon may be paid; this is permissible because it is of the category of leasing and hiring. But insurance that is based on the idea of chance and the lottery is gambling itself.
Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : I did not understand, I did not understand what he is saying?
Another questioner : He says: In some countries, ownership is not renewed except with insurance.
The Shaykh : This is another matter; that in some countries it is not possible to allow the owner of a car to drive it and benefit from it except in exchange for insurance; either private or public insurance. This issue is another matter because it falls under the category of the many taxes imposed in some countries without a return from which the one taxed benefits. Therefore, the previous speech about insurance is in the context of what a person insures by his own choice. As for what is imposed on him by the state, its ruling is the ruling of all taxes imposed by the state that a person pays under compulsion and force. So this is one thing, and insurance paid by one's own will for a benefit he hopes for is another, and in reality, in most cases, it is as He said (Glorified and Exalted is He) in the Qur'an:
like a mirage in a lowland which a thirsty one thinks is water
كَسَرَابٍ بِقِيعَةٍ يَحْسَبُهُ الظَّمْآنُ مَاءًThe point is: that forced insurance is like taxes; it is sufficient for a person to know that he does not pay by choice but by necessity. As for the insurance that he chooses and seeks out, that is what is not permissible in Islam; because it is of the category of gambling and maysir.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : In this, we see a distinction. If what he paid equals what will be paid to him, then the state of this payer is
This is our merchandise returned to us
هَذِهِ بِضَاعَتُنَا رُدَّتْ إِلَيْنَاYes.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.