Chapter on the Rulings of Usurpation (ghasb)

Linguistically, ghasb means to take something wrongfully. In juristic usage it is the forcible seizure of another person’s property without any right.

Usurpation is forbidden by the unanimous agreement of the Muslims. Allah, Exalted is He, says, “Do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly” ⦗Quran 2:188⦘, and ghasb is one of the gravest forms of such unlawful consumption. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Your blood, your wealth, and your honor are sacred to one another,” and he also said, “The property of a Muslim is not lawful except with his willing consent.”

The object usurped may be real estate or movable goods, for the Prophet ﷺ stated, “Whoever wrongfully seizes even a hand-span of land will be yoked with a collar of seven earths.”

Accordingly, the usurper must repent to Allah, restore the property to its owner, and seek his pardon. The Prophet ﷺ urged, “Whoever has wronged his brother with regard to his honor or anything else should seek his forgiveness today, before a Day comes when there will be neither dinar nor dirham”—meaning: a Day