The Issue of ‘Ushr after the Abolition of the Landlord System

Question

A short while ago, while I was travelling, people showed me an istifta’ (request for a fatwa) and its answer; the knowledgeable people at that gathering expressed surprise at the reasoning of the answer. A copy of the answer is enclosed. The situation is this: whether or not the land was declared government property after the abolition of the landlord system, the rights of those who hold possession of and dispose of the land have increased, not decreased.

Answer

Answer (1) After the abolition of the landlord system, when every piece of land was declared the property of the government, and the government then of its own accord gave land to this or that person, neither ‘ushr nor half-tithe is wajib on such land.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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