If anyone oppresses someone else even to the extent of a piece of land measuring a hand’s width, his neck will be encircled with it from the seven earths

Prohibition of dealing with land unjustly

مَنْ ظَلَمَ قِيدَ شِبْرٍ مِنَ الأَرْضِ طُوِّقَهُ مِنْ سَبْعِ أَرَضِينَ

If anyone oppresses someone else even to the extent of a piece of land measuring a hand’s width, his neck will be encircled with it from the seven earths

(Bukhari/ Muslim)

من أخذ من الأرض شيئا بغير حقه خسف به يوم القيامة إلى سبع أرضين

Whoever takes anything from land without right, will be sunk with it until the seven earths on the Day of Judgement

(Bukhari)

 

Commentary

a. To usurp someone’s land by force and without right is not permitted in origin.

b. The second narration explains what is meant by “oppression” in the first narration as taking land or anything from the land by force or without right.

c. ‘Aisha (ra) mentioned these words of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم when she heard that there was a dispute over land between Abu Salama and some of his people.

d. It is not permitted to surrender even a hand-span of the land of the Muslim people to foreign aggressors since this would come under the indication of these narrations.