And if a person knows that his own denial is false, the settlement is void for him, and anything he takes1 is unlawful income.

If someone says, “Settle with me over the property you claim,” he has not thereby admitted the claim. Likewise, should a third party conclude a settlement on behalf of a defendant who is denying the claim, the settlement is valid whether or not the defendant had authorized him2; however, the third party may not seek reimbursement from the defendant without that authorization3.

When a settlement is made concerning a house or similar property4 and the consideration given in exchange later proves to be owned by someone else, the claimant may take the house if the defendant admits his right, or he may reinstate the lawsuit if the defendant persists in his denial.

A settlement is not valid with respect to a khiyār (contractual option), the right of shufʿah (pre-emption), or the ḥadd for qadhf (the fixed penalty for a slanderous accusation of adultery); all such rights are thereby forfeited. Nor5 is it valid to settle with a drinker or a thief in order to release him, or with a witness so that he withholds his testimony.

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It is unlawful for anyone to channel water across another person’s land or roof without that person’s permission, though a compensated settlement for such use is permissible6. If someone already has the right for water to run over his neighbor’s roof, the neighbor may not raise the roof so as to block the flow.

It is likewise forbidden for a neighbor to introduce into his own property anything that harms7 his neighbor, such as a bathhouse.