Takaful, which means 'cooperative', is an insurance approach that is instrumental to providing insurance services to Muslims and others with religious objections to aspects of conventional commercial insurance models, specifically interest payments, uncertainty, or gambling kind of transactions.

Access to insurance, as part of a broad range of essential financial services, is especially important for poor households in order to smooth consumption, build assets, absorb shocks, and manage risks associated with irregular and unpredictable income. Without access to good formal insurance...