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What is the ruling of Islamic law regarding paying an annual sum to an institution that handles the expenses of transporting, washing, and shrouding the deceased to Islamic countries?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Insurance is of two types: cooperative and commercial. Cooperative insurance is permissible and lawful because it is a contract of donations and cooperation in righteousness and piety, where people agree to pay a certain subscription, and it is invested to compensate those who suffer damage. As for commercial insurance, which is more common, it is not permissible due to its inclusion of gharar (excessive uncertainty), riba (usury), and jahalah (ignorance). Islamic jurisprudence councils have unanimously agreed on its prohibition, with the exception of cooperative insurance. Transferring the deceased for burial in another country is permissible for a legitimate purpose or a recognized benefit, and the costs of preparation and burial are covered from the deceased's wealth or from the Muslim treasury (Bayt al-Mal). It is advisable for those who need insurance to switch to cooperative insurance.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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