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Fatwa CenterAiding his friend by falsifying his address to save insurance payments
Question
I live in Canada and I have a righteous friend (Hafidh), who's family I have known for at least 2 years. He asked me a favour: To use my address on the application for his driver's license. He will tell the ministry of transportation that he lives at my address, when in reality, he does not. This is a common practice in the region where I live. His purpose in doing this is to save 4000$ on car insurance (a very large sum). I live in a different province (part of country) than him. In my province, Insurance is a lot cheaper. Is the evil of lying to the government greater than the evil of paying large sums of money for something that is Haraam like Insurance? There is also a slight chance that we might get caught by government agents and punished with fines.
Answer
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. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
If insurance is compulsory then there is no harm in letting your friend use your address as he is obliged to avoid paying that amount to the insurance company even if he has to lie to achieve this, because this amount will be taken from him without right. Indeed the scholars have permitted the wronged person to repel the injustice from him by lying and the like if he does not find another means for repelling the injustice except by doing so. Imaam As-Saawi
said in his footnote of Ash-Sharh Al-Kabeer: 'Lying is forbidden. Various rules apply to it, sometimes lying is obligatory in order to save an innocent soul, or save money from an unjust person…' For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa: 81441. However, if the insurance is optional, then it is not permissible for you to help him for two reasons:
Firstly, this kind of insurance is commercial and it is pure gambling, so helping him to get this insurance is a sin, and Allaah says (interpretation of meaning): {But do not help one another in sin and transgression.}[5:2].
Secondly, in doing so you are deceiving the insurance company, because in general the difference of insurance policies from one area to another are due to the difference of the risk.
Allaah knows best.
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