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Is it permissible, according to Sharia, to expropriate land from its owners without compensation in the public interest, given that these lands are inherited? And is the employee who drafts the decisions related to this expropriation sinful, even though they are not the one making the decision or signing it?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The fundamental principle is that a Muslim's property is sacred and inviolable. The state is not permitted to seize it except for a legitimate, recognized Sharia-compliant interest, and with fair compensation. If there is no compensation, then the seizure is a forbidden usurpation. Consequently, it is impermissible to work for an entity that seizes land without compensation, as this constitutes aiding in sin and transgression. Whoever aids in a sin is a partner to its perpetrator in that sin. Therefore, one must seek work free from prohibitions, for whoever gives up something for the sake of Allah, Allah will compensate him with something better.

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

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