Is it permissible for me to seek compensation and be paid from an insurance company?
The question, as received
I want to ask the ruling of Compensation. Because I was involved in a car accident and at the time I felt ok, but after few hours my lower back and both sides started to pain, to an extent when I sleep on my back it is really painful, when I sit, I keep moving to different postures due to the pain.
A friend told me I am able to claim for compensation and using the pay for massage therapy. This will involve informing Claims Company, who will contact the car insurance company, who will pay a lump sum amount, depending on to what I am entitled to. The payment is made after a long process, Medical checks etc.
I don’t know whether it is permissible as insurance company will be paying.
The answer
In principle, you are permitted to reclaim any amount of damage caused to your vehicle or person in terms of medical costs.[1] It will not be permissible to lay claim for more than the amount of damages incurred. However, if the insurance company chooses to pay you more than the incurred losses, it will be permissible for you to accept it as it was voluntarily offered by the company.
Condition: Claim only up to the actual damages incurred; any extra voluntarily paid by the insurer may be accepted.
Explanation
In addition, it is permissible for you to accept the money the insurance company will pay you.2
And Allah knows best.
Mufti Faraz Adam
References
1وَكَذَلِكَ الرَّاكِبُ إذَا كَانَ يَسِيرُ فِي الطَّرِيقِ الْعَامَّةِ فَوَطِئَتْ دَابَّتُهُ رَجُلًا بِيَدَيْهَا أَوْ بِرِجْلِهَا لِوُجُودِ مَعْنَى الْخَطَأِ فِي هَذَا الْقَتْلِ وَحُصُولِهِ عَلَى سَبِيلِ الْمُبَاشَرَةِ؛ لِأَنَّ ثِقَلَ الرَّاكِبِ عَلَى الدَّابَّةِ، وَالدَّابَّةُ آلَةٌ لَهُ فَكَانَ الْقَتْلُ الْحَاصِلِ بِثِقَلِهَا مُضَافًا إلَى الرَّاكِبِ فَكَانَ قَتْلًا مُبَاشَرَةً، وَلَوْ كُدِمَتْ أَوْ صُدِمَتْ أَوْ خُبِطَتْ فَهُوَ ضَامِنٌ (بدائع الصنائع ج 7 ص 272 كتب العلمية)
الرَّاكِبُ ضَامِنٌ لِمَا وَطِئَتْ الدَّابَّةُ وَلِمَا أَصَابَتْ بِيَدِهَا، أَوْ رِجْلِهَا، أَوْ رَأْسِهَا، أَوْ كَدَمَتْ، أَوْ خَبَطَتْ، وَكَذَا إذَا صَدَمَتْ(مجمع الضمانات ج 1 ص 185 دار الكتاب الإسلامي)
2إمداد الفتاوى ج 4 ص 390 مكتبة دار العلوم كراتشي
وَلَهُمَا أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْحَرْبِ غَيْرُ مُلْتَزِمِينَ أَحْكَامَ الْإِسْلَامِ وَوِلَايَةُ الْإِلْزَامِ مُنْقَطِعَةٌ لِتَبَايُنِ الدَّارَيْنِ بِخِلَافِ أَهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ فإن أَحْكَامَ أَهْلِ الْإِسْلَامِ جَارِيَةٌ عليهم من اسْتِحْقَاقِ النَّفَقَةِ في النِّكَاحِ وَالْعِدَّةِ وَالتَّوَارُثِ بِالنَّسَبِ وَبِالنِّكَاحِ الصَّحِيحِ وَثُبُوتِ خِيَارِ الْبُلُوغِ وَحُرْمَةِ نِكَاحِ الْمَحَارِمِ وَالْمُطَلَّقَةِ ثَلَاثًا وَالزِّنَا وَالرِّبَا وَغَيْرِهَا من الْأَحْكَامِ وقد تَحَقَّقَتْ وِلَايَةُ الْإِلْزَامِ مع تَحَقُّقِ الِالْتِزَامِ وَلِأَبِي حَنِيفَةَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الذِّمَّةِ لَا يَلْتَزِمُونَ أَحْكَامَنَا في الدِّيَانَاتِ وَفِيمَا يَعْتَقِدُونَ خِلَافَهُ من الْمُعَامَلَاتِ وَلِهَذَا لَا نَمْنَعُهُمْ من شُرْبِ الْخَمْرِ وَأَكْلِ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَبَيْعِهِمَا وَوِلَايَةُ الْإِلْزَامُ بِالسَّيْفِ وَالْمُحَاجَّةِ وَكُلُّ ذلك مُنْقَطِعٌ عَنْهُمْ بِاعْتِبَارِ عَقْدِ الذِّمَّةِ فَإِنَّا أُمِرْنَا أَنْ نَتْرُكَهُمْ وما يَدِينُونَ فَصَارُوا كَأَهْلِ الْحَرْبِ فَلَا فَائِدَةَ لِلْمُحَاجَّةِ بَعْدَ الْأَمْرِ بِالتَّرْكِ وَرَفْعِ السَّيْفِ عَنْهُمْ بِخِلَافِ بَائِعٍ مَتْرُوكِ التَّسْمِيَةِ وَنَحْوِهِ حَيْثُ نُبْطِلُهُ بِالْحُجَّةَ وَلِأَنَّ الْمَهْرَ حَقُّ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَالْكَافِرُ غَيْرُ مُخَاطَبٍ بِهِ (تبيين الحقائق ج 2 ص 159 مكتبة إمدادية)
Based on the Hanafi school and on the question as it was asked. Another mufti may reach a different conclusion. Read the disclaimer.