Working as an insurance agent where commercial insurance is mandatory

23-9-2011 | IslamWeb

Question:

The other day I read that car and medical insurance in a country where insurance is mandatory for such things is acceptable from islamic point of view. Is it true? Then how about working in a insurance company as a sales agent or establsihing your own business as an insurance agent in the country where care and medical insurance is mandatory? (If not allowed, then who will sell the insurance)

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Commercial insurance is forbidden as already clarified in Fatwa 81425 but whoever is obliged to do it is not sinful and the sin falls on the one who obliged him to do it or whoever deals with it deliberately.

However, this does not mean that you can work as an agent and the like in a commercial insurance company. That is because it (the commercial insurance) is permissible for the person who is forced to do it, while you are not forced to do this job.

Allaah Knows best.