A man has land belonging to orphans next to his own, so he planted it until it bore fruit, and it cost him a great deal of money; if he were to charge the orphans for the costs, they would not be able to pay. So does he take

The questioner : I have a farm next to mine that belonged to the children of a deceased relative. They moved away from it and left it without a caretaker, which led me to revive it and water it until it bore fruit and became one of the notable farms. These orphans have disregarded it and left it to me, but I fear Allah and His Messenger, and I fear the Day of Reckoning if I were to take its fruit alone, knowing that it has cost me much effort and money. If I were to charge these orphans for the cost in a manner that pleases Allah and His Messenger, nothing of note would remain for them. I ask you to inform me of the ruling in this matter, knowing that I have not demanded anything from them?

The Shaykh : The ruling in this matter is referred to the judge in your area, so return to the judge in your country and inform him of what happened, and let him look into it and apply it according to the principles of Islamic law.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : This questioner is 'Abd al-Rabb al-Nabi Muhammad Mutu' from Iraq.