Buying and Selling: Ruling on Praying in a Building Constructed on Unpaid, Disputed Land

Practical Laws of Islam as per the teachings of Imam Khamenei

Buying and Selling: Ruling on Praying in a Building Constructed on Unpaid, Disputed Land

English:

Question #1583:

The Ministry of Education constructed a building to house the facilities of a technical institute on a plot of land, on the understanding that it would pay the owners of the land at a later date. However, having finished the building, the officials of the Ministry did not keep their word. For their part, the landlords made it clear that they were not happy and that they regard the building as a usurped property, in which case holding prayer on the premises is deemed lacking in validity. What is the ruling in this matter?

Answer #1583:

After agreeing to hand the land over to the Ministry to build the technical institute in return for money that should be settled at a future date, the landlords have no right to claim it back. Accordingly, the land shall not be regarded as usurped. They can, however, demand from the Ministry to be paid the price of the land. Thus, there is no legal problem in conducting study and holding prayers on the premises. This is not dependent on the consent of the previous landlords.

-Imam Khamenei, Practical Laws of Islam, Importance and Conditions of Buying and Selling