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Is it permissible to purchase a plot of land measuring 130 square meters in a good neighborhood with a plot of land measuring 130,000 square meters in a less desirable neighborhood? And is this considered riba al-fadl (usury of surplus)?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

This is not a form of usury (riba), and land is not one of the usurious commodities. Therefore, it is permissible to sell land for land, whether the areas are equal or different. It has been authentically reported that Ibn Umar bought land from Uthman, which Uthman owned in Madinah, in exchange for land in Khaybar. Ibn Hajar said: "In this, there is permissibility for selling land for land."

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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