
What is an Islamic Life Insurance (Family Takaful) ?
Islamic life insurance—Family Takaful—is a Sharia-compliant, cooperative protection plan where participants donate to a shared fund that provides benefits to members’ beneficiaries on death or covered events, while avoiding riba (interest), gharar (excessive uncertainty), and maysir (gambling).
A Family Takaful (or islamic Life insurance) plan usually has two parts: protection (the tabarru’ fund that pays claims) and savings/investment (your personal account that accumulates value over time); if a covered event occurs, the beneficiary receives the agreed benefit from the risk pool; if not, the participant can receive the value of their personal account (and sometimes a share of surplus) at maturity or upon surrender.
In general us a life insurance Haram or Halal in Islam?
This is a very important question, and scholars have discussed it for many years. The ruling on life insurance in Islam depends on how the insurance is structured:
🚫 Conventional Life Insurance (Haram)
Most scholars agree that conventional life insurance is not permissible (haram) because it usually involves:
- Riba (interest): Insurance companies invest premiums in interest-bearing instruments.
- Gharar (excessive uncertainty): The outcome is unknown—you may pay premiums for years without receiving any benefit, or you may receive a large payout after only a few payments.
- Maisir (gambling): The structure resembles a bet between the insured and the insurer.
For these reasons, classical jurists and modern Islamic finance councils generally reject conventional life insurance.
✅ Takaful Life Insurance (Halal)
An alternative exists in the form of Takaful (Islamic insurance). This model is considered halal because:
- It is based on mutual cooperation and shared risk (ta’awun).
- Participants contribute to a common fund to support each other, rather than paying premiums to a for-profit insurer.
- Funds are invested only in Shariah-compliant assets (no interest, no haram businesses).
- Any surplus (profit) is either reinvested for members’ benefit or distributed back to participants, not kept solely by the company.
Under Family Takaful, the family of a deceased policyholder receives financial support, but it is framed as solidarity and risk-sharing, not a commercial wager.
What risks an Islamic life insurance cover ?
Here are the typical risks covered by Islamic life insurance (Family Takaful) — exact benefits vary by plan and country:
- Death (natural or accidental): a lump-sum benefit paid to your beneficiaries; some plans add extra accidental-death benefits.
- Total & Permanent Disability (TPD): payout if you’re permanently unable to work (often with specific medical/occupational definitions).
- Critical Illness: a lump-sum on diagnosis of listed conditions (e.g., cancer, heart attack, stroke) after any waiting period.
- Accidental Disability/Dismemberment: benefits for loss of limbs, sight, or other specified impairments due to an accident.
- Income/Family Protection Riders: monthly income to dependents, waiver of contributions if you’re disabled or critically ill, and education continuation benefits for children.
- Hospital Cash & Medical Riders (where offered): daily cash while hospitalized or reimbursement-style medical riders attached to the family plan.
- Mortgage/Credit Takaful: clears the outstanding halal financing balance if you die or are totally disabled (sometimes includes terminal illness).
- Funeral/Final Expenses: fixed amount to cover janazah and immediate costs.
Common limitations/exclusions: pre-existing conditions (or waiting periods), suicide clauses, hazardous activities, war/terrorism exclusions, and non-disclosure—check your certificate, riders, and Sharia Board notes.
Where can I find an Islamic life insurance company (family Takaful) in the UK, USA, Canada, Germany, India, Australia and Turkey)
Here’s a breakdown of where you can find Islamic life insurance (Family Takaful) providers—or Shariah-compliant insurance alternatives—in each of the regions you asked about:
Islamic Life Insurance (Family Takaful) Providers by Country
United Kingdom
- NDI Takaful & Retakaful Ltd – The UK’s first fully Shariah-compliant broker, offering access to takaful insurance through partnerships with insurers.NDI InsuranceBloom Money
United States
- AIG (with Lexington Insurance Company) – The first to offer takaful insurance products through surplus lines arrangements.
- Ikhlas Insurance Group – Provides Shariah-compliant life insurance plans vetted by a Shariah advisor, serving Muslim Americans.Ikhlas Insurance Group
- Note: There is currently no federal takaful regulatory framework in the US; acceptance of conventional term life insurance under Islamic permissibility may vary.
Canada
- Ethical Insurance (CHES Special Risk) – Canada’s first Shariah-compliant insurance provider, focusing primarily on commercial property and liability risks.
- GetTakaful – A community-based takaful model offering ethically structured insurance in Canada.gettakaful.ca
- Ansar Co-operative Housing Corporation Ltd – Offers home and auto takaful insurance to its community members.SHARIA BANKING
- Halal Insurance Inc – Delivers a range of Shariah-compliant insurance solutions, including life, health, critical illness, and disability coverage.halalinsuranceinc.com
Germany
- Neova Techafull GmbH – A sister company to Germany’s KT Bank AG, offering Islamic takaful insurance solutions through an innovative fintech approach.Fieldfisher
India
- Currently, no takaful insurance providers are officially available. Although plans were announced (e.g., by Bajaj Allianz), they are yet to materialize.r
Australia
- Salaam – Australia’s largest Shariah-compliant wealth services provider; while primarily focused on financial planning and wealth solutions, it represents an established presence in the country’s Islamic finance sector.salaam.com.au
- ICFAL – Provides Shariah-compliant finance solutions, though not specifically takaful.ICFAL
Turkey
- Bereket Takaful – An Islamic insurance company offering life, personal accident, motor, and property takaful.
- Neova Sigorta – One of Turkey’s earliest participation (takaful) insurers, operating on a takaful model within the “participation insurance” framework.
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