Is the prize money won in an insurance company lottery considered halal, given that the original amount paid for the insurance was halal, and the intention was to donate the profits generated from the insurance?
Life insurance, if it is commercial, is impermissible, and it is not permissible to benefit from the money resulting from it except for the amount paid by the insured. Any surplus beyond that must be spent on the welfare of Muslims or given as charity to the poor and needy. This includes interest and any prize. If the insured is poor and in need, he may take from it according to his need, as Imam An-Nawawi said: "And he [the one in possession of ill-gotten wealth] may give it as charity to himself and his dependents if he is poor, and he may take according to his need, because he too is poor." A Muslim must repent, seek forgiveness, and not return to such transactions.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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