Could you please explain whether insurance is permissible or not. Various areas of modern life require insurance, particularly in areas where the law of the land makes it obligatory to have some forms of insurance, as in the case of driving a motorcar. Anwar)
Some scholars take a negative view of insurance, stating that it is contrary to Islamic law. They base their verdict on the fact that when you buy an insurance policy, you do not know what exactly you are getting in return for your money. There is no doubt that a transaction in which the buyer is not clear about the merchandise he is buying is not acceptable in Islam, except in cases where such ambiguity is too small or unavoidable. Thus, if someone says to you: will you buy this brief case with all its contents for 100 riyals, and you give him the money and take the brief case, the deal is forbidden in Islamic law. The reason for its prohibition is that you do not know the contents. They may be good books worth much more than what you are paying, or they may be blank notepads, or even a couple of old pencils that are worth next to nothing. However, in cases where the ambiguity is unavoidable, it is overlooked and the deal is acceptable. A good example is a deal where a person buys the produce of a tree. Normally, such a buyer has a good eye for what he is buying. He is experienced in estimating such produce and he looks at the tree carefully before making an offer or accepting an asking price.
Scholars who give a verdict of prohibition on insurance say that only when insurance is a form of cooperation to mitigate adversity it is permissible. Yet essentially insurance is basically a form of such cooperation, but it involves companies that make profit out of it.
Other scholars look differently at insurance and give a verdict of permissibility on almost all aspects of insurance, except where it involves usury. One of the leading authorities on Islamic law in the twentieth century, Mustafa Al-Zarqa, wrote a book on insurance, looking at all its aspects. When he tackled the question of ambiguity, he said that it is both too small and unavoidable. As such, it is overlooked. Many scholars now support his views, saying that insurance is permissible, or halal.
The point these scholars make is that when you take out an insurance policy, you are buying a very real product, which is peace of mind. It is very important for going about life without worries about your commercial deals, illness, or being involved in a car accident. Should you meet such an adversity, you know that the insurance company will be paying out to reduce your burden, or compensate your loss in part or in full, according to the terms of your policy. This view is gaining ground, with more and more scholars supporting it. According to this view, all insurance is permissible, except where the policy in question involves usury. In evaluating this view, the late Sheikh Ali Al-Tantawi said: “This view is more accurate and better supported with sound evidence.” You cannot have a better judgment than this.
I have been blessed with a newborn son, and I named him Affan, after the third Caliph’s father. Some people told me that this is a name of a person who died unbeliever, and I must not give my son such a name. Please comment. K.A. Aslam
Names generally are neutral. During the Prophet’s lifetime many Muslims shared the same names with some of the most hardened opponents of Islam. Many of the Prophet’s companions were called Amr, while Abu Jahl’s name was Amr. The Prophet did not order any of them to change their names. Ubayy ibn Kaab was an Ansari companion of the Prophet who was distinguished by his excellent recitation of the Qur’an.
He had the same name as Ubayy ibn Khalaf who tried hard to kill the Prophet. This means that if the name itself is a good name, its being the name of an unbeliever is not a reason to prevent its usage by Muslims.
Now you need to look at the name itself, its meaning and associations. There is no outstanding figure in history who was called Affan, so that those who are called by this name could aspire to emulate that figure. As for its meaning, the word, affan, is not used in Arabic. You do not find it in the best-known Arabic dictionaries. However, as Arabic is a derivative language, you can look at the root of the word and find out its meaning. The root is “afan”, and it means “to rot, to go bad”, as happens to food when it becomes rotten. Hence, Affan is not a good name to give to your son. You do not find the name used today anywhere in the Arab world, except perhaps in very rare cases. Why not change your son’s name and call him Othman, after the third Caliph, who was one of the greatest companions of the Prophet?