Is it impermissible to sell an apartment to another buyer at a higher price after agreeing with a first buyer and receiving a deposit from him, then returning the deposit to him?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
If the seller and the first buyer agreed to sell the apartment, and they parted ways on that agreement, then the sale became binding and cannot be annulled except with the consent of the first buyer. Accordingly, the sale to the second buyer is void, because it is selling what the seller does not own. The second buyer must be informed of the truth of the matter. If he agrees to return the apartment and reclaim what he paid, then praise be to Allah. Otherwise, the first buyer has the right to take the matter to court. The seller must seek Allah's forgiveness and repent to Him for what he has done.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/49902
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 49902
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy