We say: It is preferable that he accept it, especially if we know that this purchaser bought it out of sincere judgment, not in order to impose a loss upon him or cause him financial harm. A person who does good should not be repaid with ill treatment, for the price of the commodity may be exceedingly high and this purchaser may have no money. Thus, it is preferable for the person on whose behalf it was purchased to accept it, even if this entails some embarrassment for him.

Nothing other than dwellings from lands conquered by force—such as the lands of Syria, Egypt, and Iraq—may be sold; rather, they are to be leased. …

His statement, “Nothing other than dwellings from lands conquered by force—such as the lands of Syria, Egypt, and Iraq—may be sold,” is mentioned by the author as a subsidiary issue arising from the condition that the seller must own what he sells.

By “dwellings,” he means houses, which include both the buildings and the land. The buildings are the dwellings, while the land is either undeveloped land upon which no building stands, or the land on which the building has been constructed. If such land, or such dwellings together with their land, is sold, the sale is invalid. However, if the dwellings alone are sold, the sale is valid in lands conquered by force.

The meaning of ʿanwatan is: by coercion and force.

His statement, “such as the lands of Syria, Egypt, and Iraq”: when the scholars refer to Syria, they include Syria, Palestine, Jordan, and everything north of the Arabian Peninsula. Thus, in the lands of Syria, Egypt, and Iraq, nothing may be sold except dwellings. The land itself may not be sold, because Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, designated it as an endowment (1), and an endowment may not be sold. Thus Umar, may Allah be pleased with him,