The Condition of the Imam’s Permission in Reviving Dead Land

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, is the permission of the Imam required for reviving dead land?

Answer:
This is not required. Or, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: He has the right to it. So it is not required, except that if a person comes to a piece of dead land that no one has a claim to, and he surrounds it with a wall or digs a well, he owns it by that. Or if he prepares it for agriculture or brings water to it, he owns it by that. However, in recent times, when there was fighting and dispute between tribes and among people, and when there was manipulation among people, the one in authority prohibited this in order to restrain people, because people incur rulings to the extent that they innovate. When people misused it and transgressed, and killing might occur between tribes, and beating might occur, the one in authority saw that the public benefit is that no one controls land except in order to prevent aggression and dispute among people for the sake of public benefit. And this is a correct view, because preventing harm—the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was heard saying: If leaving it to people causes harm to people, and stirs up dispute and stirs up permission, then it is for the one in authority to withhold what he sees as beneficial, and to warn people of rulings to the extent that they transgress. Yes.