Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (30/181)

He—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked:

About orphans who own a share in a property, which their guardian leased to the partnership for three years at less than the fair rental value. What is the ruling?

He replied:

Praise be to Allah. If the guardian leases it for less than the fair rental value, he is liable for the loss he has caused the orphan. The lease is not binding on the orphan after he attains sound judgment. Rather, according to one of the two scholarly opinions, it is invalid and automatically dissolved; according to the other, the orphan may rescind it.

If the lessee did not know that the guardian’s action was unlawful, he may hold the guardian liable for any liability he had not undertaken himself. If he knew, however, ultimate liability rests with him. Indeed, even if the guardian leased it at the fair rental value for a term during which he knows the orphan will come of age, most scholars allow the orphan to rescind the lease. And Allah knows best.

وَسُئِلَ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ -: عَنْ أَيْتَامٍ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ فِي مِلْكٍ فَأَجَّرَهُ الْوَصِيُّ لِلشَّرِكَةِ مُدَّةَ ثَلَاثِ سِنِينَ بِدُونِ قِيمَةِ الْمِثْلِ. فَمَا الْحُكْمُ؟ . فَأَجَابَ: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، مَتَى أَجَّرَهُ الْوَصِيُّ بِدُونِ أُجْرَةِ الْمِثْلِ كَانَ ضَامِنًا لِمَا فَوَّتَهُ عَلَى الْيَتِيمِ وَلَمْ تَكُنْ الْإِجَارَةُ لَازِمَةً لِلْيَتِيمِ بَعْدَ رُشْدِهِ؛ بَلْ هِيَ بَاطِلَةٌ مُنْفَسِخَةٌ فِي أَحَدِ قَوْلَيْ الْعُلَمَاءِ. وَفِي الْآخَرِ لَهُ أَنْ يَفْسَخَهَا. ثُمَّ إنْ كَانَ الْمُسْتَأْجِرُ لَمْ يَعْلَمْ تَحْرِيمَ مَا فَعَلَهُ الْوَصِيُّ كَانَ لَهُ أَنْ يَضْمَنَهُ مَا لَمْ يَلْتَزِمْ ضَمَانَهُ وَإِنْ عَلِمَ اسْتَقَرَّ الضَّمَانُ عَلَيْهِ؛ بَلْ لَوْ أَجَّرَهُ بِأُجْرَةِ الْمِثْلِ. مِثْلَ هَذِهِ الْمُدَّةِ الَّتِي يَعْلَمُ الْوَصِيُّ أَنَّهُ يَبْلُغُ فِي أَثْنَائِهَا؛ فَأَكْثَرُ الْعُلَمَاءِ يُجَوِّزُونَ لِلْيَتِيمِ الْفَسْخَ. وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.