My father passed away, leaving behind four sons and three daughters. The mother submitted an application to the Agricultural Reform Authority and received a plot of agricultural land in exchange for an annual rent.

The questioner : My father passed away, leaving behind four male children and three daughters. The mother submitted an application to the Agricultural Reform Authority and received a plot of agricultural land in exchange for an annual rent. She was unable to pay the rent, and she also was unable to cultivate the land because she was new to it, and we did not have the ability to cultivate it. We inform you that the daughters were married before the land was received, and we were young at that time. The mother relinquished the land to the Reform Authority. After eight years had passed, we gathered a sum of money, paid the rent and all debts related to the land, and received the land again. Please note that when paying the debts, we took a sum from the daughters with the intention of a loan, and after a period, we returned the amount to the daughters. Also, we have an older brother, from the same mother but from a different father, and the land is still in the mother's name. We ask you to inform us: do the sisters have a right to a share in the land or not? Please inform us; may Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : It is our custom and practice that we do not speak about matters involving litigation, because speech based on the statement of one litigant may be subject to deficiency and error, as the other party may have something to refute his claim. Therefore, we ask the brother to excuse us and refer him to the court there, if he wishes, so that Allah may facilitate the matter for the implementation of the Shari'ah of Allah.

The questioner : May Allah bless you.