What is the ruling on the medical insurance provided by the government free of charge to students, this is given to all students in the country by the governement in Sri Lanka?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
If medical insurance is offered for free by the government, a person will not be involved in the haram elements of gambling(qimaar) and usury(riba). It will be considered as a gratuity from the government.[1] Accordingly, it will be permissible to make use of this medical insurance.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Abu ‘Umar Muhammad bin Zayn Patel
Student Darul Iftaa
South Africa
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
[1] Fatwa Uthmani 3/335