The Timelessness of Shariah Law: Why Insurance is Considered Haram
Question: When we tell someone that all kinds of insurance are haram (forbidden), some people object by saying that insurance did not exist during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). How can insurance be considered haram?
Answer: The Shariah (Islamic law) that Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him) is meant to last until the Day of Judgment. One of the beauties of this Shariah is that it provides solutions for all issues that arise from the time of the Prophet until the end of time.
The mobile phone you are using to write your question did not exist during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), yet we do not consider this mobile phone haram because its prohibition is not established in the light of the Quran and Sunnah. However, the same mobile phone can contain obscene films, which we do consider haram because their prohibition is established in the light of the Quran and Hadith, even though films did not exist during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The same applies to insurance. There are many flaws in commercial insurance according to the Quran and Hadith, which is why this trade is considered haram. There are many books available on this subject that provide detailed explanations of its prohibition.
Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi (may Allah preserve him)
❪Jeddah Dawah Center, Hayy Al-Salamah – Saudi Arabia❫