The Egyptian Mufti, Sheikh Naser Farid Wassel, said this week that the exigencies of daily life had made all types of insurance a necessity, the Saudi Al Watan newspaper reported.
“The insurance contract covering the responsibility in the medical profession does not run afoul of the Islamic Sharia regulations, particularly in view of the fact that it is a reciprocal insurance for individuals and groups to make up for any possible losses,” added the mufti.
The senior Islamic cleric pointed out that the consensus on this type of insurance was that it was consistent with the Sharia principles, as it was a type of cooperation for charity and piety, adding that it was part of non-profit social solidarity and cooperation between Muslims.
“The increase in the amount of insurance…is not considered usury, because premium payments are not time-sensitive, but are rather donations to compensate for risk damages,” said the mufti.
Wassel reiterated that no time limits should be set for compensating patients, so that these compensations would drop over time.
According to Sharia, he said, proven rights cannot be dropped at all, even if the person entitled does not claim them.
“But the beneficiary’s right to file a suit against a company for compensation based on this contract drops after 33 years, which is the time limit for filing the suit to claim civil rights, according to Islamic jurists,” he said - Albawaba.com
