What is the ruling on participating in an end-of-service bonus and group insurance scheme in which the company relies on a deposit invested in investment funds with a variable return, and the employee pays 3% of their salary while the company pays 17% to increase the deposit, bearing in mind that the employee recovers the principal amount and profits upon termination of service, and an amount equivalent to 36 months of their last salary is added in the event of death? And what is the ruling on zakat for the money in this deposit?

Deducting an amount from an employee's salary and investing it in permissible Mudarabah (profit-sharing) investment projects is permissible if it meets the Shariah requirements. What the company pays is either a grant or it acts as a third party in the Mudarabah, and neither of these is objectionable. As for the increase paid upon the employee's death, if it is tied to the Mudarabah, it is not permissible because it represents a fixed profit. However, if it comes from an independent source, then if it is commercial insurance, it is not permissible, but if it is cooperative insurance, it is permissible. The Zakat on these funds is obligatory if they reach the Nisab (minimum threshold) and a Hawl (lunar year) has passed on them.