Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(306): "Ruling on Health Insurance"

Date Added : 13-07-2022

Resolution No.(306), By The Board of Iftaa', Researches and Islamic Studies:

"Ruling on Health Insurance"

Date: (25th of Jumada Al Oula, 1443 AH), corresponding to (30/12/2021 AD).

 

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

On its sixteenth meeting held on the above date, the Board of Iftaa`, Research, and Islamic Studies reviewed question No.(207233) sent to the electronic website of The General Iftaa` Department. It stated as follows: I work for a company of the private sector and we have optional health insurance. What is the ruling of Sharia on this health insurance taking into consideration that the company where I work deals with a conventional insurance company where an amount of 11JDs is deducted from an employee`s salary while the rest is covered by the employer?

After careful consideration, the Board decided what follows:

Health treatment is one of the necessities emphasized by the Maqasid of Sharia (Higher objectives of Sharia). Due to the progress accomplished in the field of medicine and the diversity of its techniques, meeting this need has become too expensive, so individuals couldn`t afford treatment and this negatively affected their health.

Since public need is ranked as a private necessity and the rules of Sharia rests on warding off harm and hardship, then it is permissible for an employee to have access to the services of medical insurance by virtue of his/her company having concluded a contract to that end with an insurance company. It is also permissible for an employee to include his/her dependents in those services as well. However, we advise employers to insure their employees with cooperative insurance companies that observe the standards of Sharia in this regard. And Allah The  Almighty Knows Best.

 Chairperson of Iftaa` Board

Grand Mufti of Jordan                     Dr. Abdulkareem al-Khasawneh

Dr. Mohammad al-Khalayleh

Dr. Mahmoud al-Sartawi/ Member         Dr. Majed al-Darawsheh/ Member

Sheikh Sa`eid Al-Hijjawi, Member

Judge Samer Al-Khobbaj/ Member               Prof. Adam Nooh Al-Qhodaat/Member

Prof. Amjad Rasheed/Member

Dr. Jamil Khatatbeh/Member                               Dr. Mohammad Younis Al-Zou`bi/ Member

Dr. Ahmad al-Hasanat/ Member

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on fasting the six days of Shawwal?

Fasting the six days of Shawwal is Sunnah. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever fasts Ramadan and then follows it with six days of Shawwal, it is as if they have fasted for a lifetime." [Narrated by Muslim]
This is because fasting one month of Ramadan is rewarded as fasting for ten months, and the six days are equivalent to sixty days, completing a full year of fasting.

What are the categories of the livestock permissible for Udhiyah?

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
An Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) is only valid if it is selected from Al-An'am (livestock), which includes: camels, cattle, and sheep or goats—whether male or female, and even if castrated. Allah Almighty says {what means}: "And for all religion We have appointed a rite [of sacrifice] that they may mention the name of Allah over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] livestock." (Al-Hajj/ 34)
 
In terms of preference, camels are considered the best choice, followed by cattle, then sheep, and finally goats.
A single sheep or goat is valid as a sacrifice on behalf of one person. However, a single camel or cow can be shared by up to seven people. This is based on the narration of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: "In the year of Al-Hudaybiyah, we sacrificed along with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) a camel on behalf of seven people, and a cow on behalf of seven people." (Narrated by Muslim)
 
(Note: The term "Badanah" used in the original Arabic text specifically refers to a camel in this context). And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

If someone starts the day sick or traveling while fasting, is it permissible for them to break their fast?

● A sick person who finds fasting difficult is allowed to break their fast, whether they began the day fasting or not.
● As for a traveler:
○ If they were still at home at dawn and then traveled after Fajr (dawn), they must continue fasting unless they experience extreme hardship, in which case they may break their fast.
○ However, if they were already traveling when dawn broke—meaning they had left their town before Fajr—then they are permitted to break their fast. This is what the Prophetﷺ did during the year of the conquest (of Makkah).

Is it permissible for someone who is unable to fast to pay the fidyah (ransom/compensation payment) to himself, due to his own poverty?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is not permissible, nor does it fulfill the obligation, for a sick person who is currently and permanently unable to fast to pay the fidyah (ransom/compensation payment) to himself, since it is a financial obligation owed by him, established as a standing debt upon him — much like any other debt he owes. If he were to pay it to himself, it would not thereby be discharged. So if he cannot find [anyone eligible to] pay it to, it remains a standing obligation upon him, and is not thereby waived. If Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, later grants him wealth, it becomes obligatory upon him to pay it out to the poor and needy.
Imam al-Khaṭīb ash-Shirbīnī (raḥimahullāh) said: "There is no difference in the obligation of the fidyah between the wealthy and the poor person; its benefit lies in its remaining established as a standing debt upon the poor person [until he is able to pay it] — and this is the more correct position (al-aṣaḥḥ), as indicated by the wording of ar-Rawḍah and its source text." [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj, Vol.2/P.174]
Accordingly: it is not permissible for a Muslim to pay the fidyah to himself while he remains poor. If the sick person is poor, he is not obligated to pay the fidyah immediately, and it remains a standing debt upon him until a time when he has sufficient means and wealth. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.