Health insurance is a form of insurance that covering the whole or partially of the risk from a person’s health expenses or a coverage of insurance member when they are getting sick or get an accident.
An insurance company calculated our risk or potentially risk in the future and related it with the amount of money we pay to the insurance company in order to cover that risk.
We called it as investment in term of health and it is written in the agreement.
The concept of all insurance including health insurance is they trying to switch the risk and minimize the risk that may appeared in the future and manage it in form of insurance. Read also prohibitions of insurance in Islam.
Is It Permissible to Take Health Insurance in Islam?
Things we should understand is that in health insurance there were usury, qimar (gambling), and ghoror (speculating).
It is clearly forbidden in Islam, and muslims should avoid these transactions. We are encourage to involve in fair and clear trade.
“O you who have believed, do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly but only (in lawful) business by mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves (or one another). Indeed, Allah is to you ever Merciful.” (QS. An-Nisa : 29)
The above verse also have an interpretation that we should not eat other wealth by vanity. In insurance there is a possibility they collect people’s wealth i.e money but there is no exact provisions that those people will gain the same benefits.
In the contract of mu’awadhot there is a concept either that profit must have reciprocity, if we deposit an amount of money the we must get something of similar value. It is a nature of human if they did not get the similar value of what they have given to, they will feel disadvantaged. Read also rules of seeking knowledge in Islam.
And muslims should avoid gambling or any activities related to it as mentioned in the following verse which may cause a moral deterioration.
“O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, (sacrificing on) stone alters (to other than Allah), and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful.” (QS. Al-Ma’idah : 90)
In health insurance we could slightly see the potential leads to gambling. Risk in the future can not be measured, especially if we talk about health.
As muslims we should believe that Allah SWT will give us blessings and pleasure if we worship Him. And in order to keep our health then what we have to do is exercising to make us physically fit and healthy.
Maintaining our cleanliness to prevent ourselves from germ and viruses and eat healthy food and avoid junk food as much as possible. The rest of it are in the hands of Allah SWT as mentioned in the following verses:
“And when they have (nearly) fulfilled their term, either retain them according to acceptable terms or part with them according to acceptable terms. And bring to witness two just men from among you and establish the testimony for (the acceptance of) Allah.
That is instructed to whoever should believe in Allah and the Last day. And whoever fears Allah – He will make for him a way out.
And will provide for him from where he does not except. And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him. Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a (decreed) extent.” (QS. At-Talaq : 2-3)
It is better for muslims to avoid something that clearly forbidden. As we know that now you can find many insurance product based on Islamic Sharia or not contrary to Islamic religious law.
Their system is rather cooperative and avoid riba in the process. Read also the importance of education in Islam.
Other View of Health Insurance
In Quran verse it is mentioned that as human we have privilege to choose and think which one is wrong and right, as follow:
“You are the best nation produced (as an example) for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah.
If only the People of the Scripture had believed, it would have been better for them. Among them are believers, but most of them are defiantly disobedient.” (QS. Ali ‘Imran : 110)
As mentioned before now we have so many options about health insurance or to secure our health fund by several financial product. [AdSense-B]
We have intelligence to select the right one and to choose the best according to our religion (Islam). The Islamic scholars have exceptions for some cases such as:
- If muslim live in non-Islamic countries and obliged by the law to take insurance including health insurance or by their company then it is allowed for them to take it. But if we have an option to avoid it then it is better for us to leave it immediately.
- Take the benefits as the same amount you paid for the premium (insurance fee paid monthly, yearly, or according to the agreed time period). Read also most destructive sins in Islam.
- Tafakul as the solutions. It is an insurance system based on the Islamic Sharia. In Indonesia the system called by Sharia Insurance and it avoid riba in their process. The system used in this type of insurance is tabbaruj (crowd funding for goodness). The different of this insurance with other conventional insurance are from the intention and contract. The intention for joining this insurance is merely for helping others not for our own interests.
According to the explanation above some scholars said that it is allowed to join such type of health insurance as long as the intention is for helping others, the contract is clear, and does not involve usury in it. Rasulullah said in the following hadith,
“Whoever amongst you sees on evil, he should change it with his hand (i.e. physically), if he is unable he should change it with his tongue (i.e. verbally) and if he is unable, he should change it with his heart (by detesting it in his heart) and that is the weakest level of faith.” (Muslim)
Health insurance and other product from human invention in Islam are intended to help and ease our burden also used for good.
If the result is the opposite and we doubt it, then it’s better if we leave those invention including health insurance. Read also law of tort in Islam.