Is it permissible to buy and sell houses belonging to government employees, especially if the buyer is not an employee?

This issue can be summarized in three scenarios:

1. Ownership of usufruct only: It is not permissible to sell or rent these houses, or to house individuals who do not meet the criteria, because the houses are not their property, and the state intended them for dwelling only.

2. Absolute ownership: It is permissible to dispose of the houses through sale, gift, or rental, because they are the property of the disposer.

3. Ownership with a condition of non-disposal except with the permission of the original owner (the state): Scholars differed on this matter. The majority of scholars hold that the condition is void because it contradicts the essence of the contract of sale and ownership. However, Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and some scholars are of the opinion that the condition is valid if it entails a benefit for the seller. This is also the chosen view of Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen.

In summary: It is not permissible to sell these dwellings if they were granted for usufruct or sold with the condition that they not be sold to others.