Takaful vs Insurance: What is the difference?

In the world of financial protection, the choice between takaful and conventional insurance carries significant implications. Let’s break down the key differences to help you make an informed decision.

1. Concept

Insurance: A financial agreement where individuals or businesses become policyholders by paying a premium to an insurance provider in exchange for protection against a specified risk.

Takaful: An arrangement where a group of participants mutually guarantee each other against a specified risk, whereas the takaful provider plays the role of managing the common fund. It is considered as the Islamic alternative to insurance.

2. Payments

Insurance: By paying premiums, policyholders obtain coverage and transfer the financial risk of potential losses to the insurance provider.

Takaful: Participants cooperate by contributing to a common fund and share the responsibility of covering the loss endured by a participant from the pooled funds.

3. Risk and Reward Sharing

Insurance: The insurance provider assumes to bear the risk of covering the losses of the policyholder. Hence, any surplus generated from the premiums paid belongs to the insurance provider.

Takaful: Monies in the common fund belongs to participants as per their contributions. Hence, any surplus generated from the common fund shall be distributed amongst them and the takaful provider based on agreed-upon ratios.

4. Principles

Insurance: Currently practiced in the conventional financial system. It provides a mechanism to mitigate financial uncertainties through risk transferring.

Takaful: Operates in accordance with Islamic finance principles by avoiding interest-based transactions that are free from unIslamic concepts like uncertainty (gharar) and gambling (maysir).

Introducing Be U Microtakaful!

Rooted in the principles of Takaful, which align with Islamic finance, Microtakaful aims to provide accessible and affordable coverage to individuals with limited financial resources. With Microtakaful, our Be U users can apply for coverage regardless of their side hustles. Starting from as low as RM0.80, they can choose their tenure from daily to monthly options. It is applicable to all gig jobs from any platform in Malaysia.