Assalamualaykum, 1. I am wanting to open a business which will deal with accident claims. So a client will report an accident with us and they will pay us a fee for the service. The service includes a minimum/maximum payout for the person involved in the accident and what we will do is to get in touch with a solictor who will deal in arranging out a minimum compensation for the client involved, who in the end gets the compensation for his accident from a Insurance company which we will then gather and give back to the client involved in the accident. This is in a non muslim country and the Insurance company are also dealing regularly in interest and gambling. What i am not sure is this a permissible contract and also overall is it haram, can you give us the reasons? Does it also fall into doubtful matters as we are interested in setting it up soon but we can stop if it is haram or it is has shuba! 2. Alternative business is acting as a letting agent who will check for interested parties in renting out thier home and we will promote this and get a percentage out of the person who ends up renting his property. Now is there anything wrong with and what i see is that the person who rents out the properties the majority who hold these house are dealing in mortgages/interests, will this render our null since as this will be helping in sin? Please if you can answer our lengthy question as we are in a situation with no one to ask, Jazakumullah khairan.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The commercial insurance companies – as you mentioned in the question and as clarified in our Fatwa 81425 – are based on Riba (interest and/or usury), gambling and cheating, and the insured may take from the commercial insurance what he does not deserve; therefore, it is not permissible for you to work in the first project.

As regards the second project, it is permissible unless you know that the tenant wants to use the rented property for a forbidden matter, like for a nightclub or a bank that deals with Riba and the like, as in this case, it is not permissible to work as an agent [between the landlord and the tenant] because it is forbidden to cooperate in sin and transgression.

Allaah Knows best.