the houses of Mecca: their rent during the Hajj season is higher than their rent for the rest of the year. Thus, we say that the proportion is not determined by the length of time; rather, it is determined by the usufruct.
His statement: “Or if he rents land for cultivation and its water supply is cut off, or it is flooded.” He rents land for cultivation, and it is stipulated in the lease contract that it is for cultivation. If the water supply is cut off, the author says that the lease is terminated, because it has become impossible to obtain the usufruct: crops cannot survive without water. The same applies in the reverse case, if the land is flooded—for example, if it is low-lying land and the rains continue upon it until it becomes like a sea throughout the growing season. In that case, the lease is terminated, because it has become impossible for either party to obtain the usufruct.
If someone were to ask: Does this not support the previous case—which we said was the correct view—where one rents a shop to sell merchandise, then the merchandise is destroyed, so that the lease is terminated?
The answer is that this supports it in some respects. However, the difference is that here the defect relates to the subject matter of the contract, not to its intended purpose. In the first case, the inability to benefit concerned the intended purpose of the contract; whereas here, the inability to benefit concerns the subject matter of the contract itself, namely the land or the house. Nevertheless, we may say that this distinction has no effect, because in both cases the usufruct has become impossible without any human volition.
“If he finds the leased property defective, or a defect arises in it, he has the right to terminate the lease, but he must pay the rent for the period that has passed. A private employee is not liable for damage caused by his hand unintentionally, ………….”
His statement: “If he finds the leased property defective, or a defect arises in it, he has the right to terminate the lease, but he must pay the rent for the period that has passed.”
If he finds the leased property defective, a defect here is that which reduces the rent. Not every flaw is deemed a defect; and it may be said that a defect is that by which the intended purpose is lost.