30 March 1908

(Before Asr Prayer)

Life Insurance

The Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, had received a letter from Malik Maula Bakhsh stating that he was in a contract with a life insurance company for several years before the Bai’at and had paid nearly 600 rupees to the company. Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq presented the letter to the Promised Messiah (as) and asked for his advice. Malik [Maula Bakhsh] Sahib had also written in his letter that he had pledged at the hand of the Promised Messiah to give precedence to his faith over all worldly matters, and if this issue was in conflict with religious teaching in any way, he would like to withdraw from it.

The Promised Messiah (as) said:

I do not see any reason to justify it. He should accept whatever loss has been incurred and consider it as a loss in the way of Allah and repent from this sin for the future. Allah the Exalted is the One who gives reward. This, in essence, is a form of gambling.1