Earning a living by exploiting land without the owner's permission
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The fourth question of Fatwa No. ( 6901 )
Q4: A man who is an employee in a government job as a guard for a vacant plot of land rents it out to people for a period of the year in exchange for a sum of money or a quantity of grain, and this is done without the knowledge of the department where he works. If his supervisor were to know, he would share in it with him, without the proceeds reaching the department. What is the ruling on this work, and what is the ruling on spending and eating from this money and food for him and his children, whom he supports in their studies? And if you tell him: This is not permissible until your workplace gives you permission, he says: You will cut off this livelihood from me.
A4: It is not permissible for that guard or anyone like him to exploit this land without the permission of the one who has the authority to dispose of it. What he earns from it is not lawful for him to benefit from; rather, he must hand it over to the person responsible for that land if possible, or otherwise spend it on acts of charity. He must repent and seek forgiveness for what he has done. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q4: A man who is an employee in a government job as a guard for a vacant plot of land rents it out to people for a period of the year in exchange for a sum of money or a quantity of grain, and this is done without the knowledge of the department where he works. If his supervisor were to know, he would share in it with him, without the proceeds reaching the department. What is the ruling on this work, and what is the ruling on spending and eating from this money and food for him and his children, whom he supports in their studies? And if you tell him: This is not permissible until your workplace gives you permission, he says: You will cut off this livelihood from me.
A4: It is not permissible for that guard or anyone like him to exploit this land without the permission of the one who has the authority to dispose of it. What he earns from it is not lawful for him to benefit from; rather, he must hand it over to the person responsible for that land if possible, or otherwise spend it on acts of charity. He must repent and seek forgiveness for what he has done. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.