Is It Permissible to Purchase Short-Term Event Insurance to Rent a Hall for a Sisters-Only Gathering?
Question
Asalamou aleykoum,
I’m planning a small sister-only gathering to celebrate moving into my husband’s home after my nikkah. My current apartment is too small to host everyone, so I’m looking into renting a small hall. Most venues I’ve found require liability insurance for the rental. Would I be allowed to purchase short-term event insurance just for that day to meet their requirements?
Answer
Alhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain.
1. The Shar‘i Context
Insurance in general (ta’min) as practiced today includes elements of gharar (uncertainty) and qimar (transactional risk), which is why classical jurists and modern fatwa councils often state that conventional insurance should be avoided unless there is a direct need or legal requirement.
However, Islam also recognizes that Muslims living in the West frequently encounter situations where certain services cannot be accessed without some form of compulsory insurance.
2. Opinions of the Four Madhhabs
The madhahib did not discuss modern insurance directly, but they clearly address contracts that contain unavoidable conditions attached by another party.
Across all four schools, a general principle appears:
- If the main contract is halal, and
- The problematic condition is not the purpose of the contract but attached externally by law or by the lessor,
then the contract remains valid, and the condition is tolerated when there is genuine need.
In your situation, the main contract (renting a hall for a sisters-only halal gathering) is permissible, while the insurance is a requirement imposed by the venue.
3. Application to the Question
You are not seeking insurance “for its own sake,” nor for profit, nor for entertainment.
The hall simply refuses to rent unless liability insurance is purchased.
This resembles:
- Car insurance legally required to drive
- Home or apartment insurance required in rental contracts
- Professional liability insurance required to work in certain careers
In such cases, scholars allow temporary or minimal insurance when it is a condition for accessing a permissible service and there is no halal alternative available.
Short-term event insurance falls into this category.
4. Relevant Usul Principle
يغتفر في الشيء ضمن ما لا يغتفر فيه قصدا
What is tolerated incidentally is not tolerated intentionally.
The insurance here is not the objective, but an incidental requirement attached to a lawful purpose.
Because your intention and the main contract are halal, the incidental element is excused.
5. Final Ruling
It is permissible for you to purchase short-term event insurance solely to meet the hall’s rental requirement. This falls under an incidental necessity tied to a halal purpose, and not an independent insurance transaction sought for its own sake. However, if there is any other banquet hall does not require this insurance then you must go with them.
And Allah knows best.