By Rizwan Ahmed Farid

The report states that the presence of ‘gharar’, ‘qimar’, and ‘ribā’, make the insurance contract a transaction totally void under the tenets of Sharia’h, because the money extorted by each party, in such a contract, constitutes an illegal income.

 

The Ulmā refer to the verses 2:188 Al-Baqara and 4:29 An-Nisaah of the Holy Qur-ān:

 

 

 

The Shari’ah Scholars have recommended that since the conventional insurance business in vogue is not based on the idea of mutual cooperation but serves as a device for extortion of money from the people to utilize it in interest bearing ventures, therefore, it is forbidden. The business aims at multiplication of capital in the hands of insurance companies and, therefore, is liable to be considered as illegal in Shari’ah!

The basis of co-operation between capital and enterprise which Islam cherishes is equitable sharing of the risk and gains between them. The Ulamā of the Islamic Ideology Council have deduced that:

“The above verse (A-Nissa – 4:29), can be interpreted that taking away of each other’s wealth, property or capital by unlawful means such as interest, gambling or fraud is prohibited while deriving benefit from each other’s wealth, property or capital under an equitable business deal struck by mutual consent is permitted.”

“The essential element of “trading” is that the return on capital employed depends upon actual operating results of the business undertaken.”

The Council’s report, Beema-wa-Qawaneen-e-Beema, page 12, recommended the following opinion about the lawful, Shari’ah compatible, form of insurance.

” There is no repugnance in Shari’ah if insurance is undertaken with the sentiments of and is founded on cooperation, reciprocal responsibility, mutual surety and volition. If, therefore, an insurance company is established in such a manner that each one of its members is insured and these insured persons enter into a mutual agreement of cooperation and reciprocal responsibility, then such agreement will be lawful in Shari’ah …”

 

The Council of Islamic Ideology examined the system and laws of insurance and, proposed in its Report, Beema-wa-Qawaneen-e-Beema, in 1984, to the Government that:

 

“In order to prepare an Islamic alternative, that is, System of Collective Responsibility and Cooperation in place of the existing insurance system, a working group may be constituted in which Ulamā of the Council and the insurance experts may be included. They may expunge un-Islamic elements from the insurance system as per Report of the Council and bring out the alternate Islamic system.”

 

The reader should keep his mind crystal clear that Shari’ah Scholars of all schools of thought do not condemn the theme, need, importance and viability of insurance system. They question and express their reservations to the conventional model of insurance currently in vogue.

Instead of writing on the need and importance of insurance I would prefer to quote below the Council’s views on the subject:

“In the early stage of the new economic system of the world, Insurance business related to a large extent to the coverage of sea-ships and their cargo. But along-with the growth of industry and trade and banking business in the Western countries the field of insurance also continued expanding in extent. Now it has come to this that sea-ships, aeroplanes, cars, factories, commercial and private buildings and besides human life, human limbs, voice, etc. are also being insured. Due to this, it has assured a regular and vast business proportion. On the strength of their capital big capitalists sell expensive policies to simple minded persons, involving real or imaginary possibilities or apprehensions. Like this, they make hundreds of million dollars annually. This capital is further invested in business and profit is reaped in astronomical figures. In other words, money-business is being indulged in , in many shapes and forms. On the one hand this giving rise to inflation, Ruleondly prices of commodities and services are under extraordinary pressure. Not only this but many economic evils like concentration of wealth, recessions, etc. are also coming into existence which in their own way are a big source of corruption. As, however, the individuals and nations devoid of the wealth of faith and belief have no remedy for these evils, they are treading on these paths only.

 

“As far as developing countries and economically weak nations like Pakistan are concerned, in this matter they are absolutely helpless and are perforce the target of exploitation of the developed nations.”