Interest and Gambling

Q: I had taken out a life insurance policy with a dread disease cover many years ago. (I call that my pre-hidayat days). I have now been paid out part of the money for a dread disease, which is part of the life cover. Can I calculate all the premiums I paid over the years and take the money out of the payout as halaal money for myself? Can I use the balance of the payout for Income Tax payment. I would then cancel the policy. 

Also, what are the zakaat implications regarding this money if it is halaal. Do I need to calculate zakaat from the time I started paying the premiums or not?

Q: Is it permissible to play the lotto in order to use the prize money as a loan to start a business? Once a profit is made, money equalling the lotto amount will be given away in charity.

Q:

1. A conventional banking company runs a competition where a car can be won. Entry to the competition is free and open to customers and non-customers of the bank. The banking company itself will be the entity awarding the prize, not the car company, nor any other entity associated. Is entering such a competition permissible?

2. Similarly, a bank is offering branded pencils, pens, rulers, key rings, notebooks, etc. as gifts to customers and non-customers for marketing purposes. Will this be permissible to accept and use?

Q: Can someone who is sick and needs money for surgery take interest money credited in his account by the bank for such purposes?

Q: What is the ruling regarding opening a bank account?

Q: I hail from India. I have purchased car insurance by paying yearly premium of amount 6ooo. Can I claim insurance for damages equivalent to the premium paid or lesser?

Q: I have been told that student finance is permissible even with the inclusion of interest. The Moulana has said that it has similar rulings to car insurance. Please advise.

Q: Person A has said that for a self employed person who has to declare his profits at the end of 1 year in the UK, it is jaaiz for him to purchase a car on interest because if he does that, he’ll be paying less tax to the government as he believes that tax is haraam.

He says this isn’t permissible for a person who isn’t self employed as such a person pays tax according to his fixed salary irrespective of where he spends his wage on. (He says that this is how the system works in UK for tax.)

What is to be said of this?

Q: Is it permissible for one to purchase a vehicle or property through the bank? At times, the bank instalments are fixed, and at times, it fluctuates. What is the Shar’ee ruling in both situations?

Q: What is the difference between a service plan and medical aid, insurance or hospital plans? All seem to render a service to the person in case of need.