He—may Allah have mercy on him—was also asked:
A man rented a shop from the administrators of endowments for a specified term at a specified rent. He took possession of the shop and used it, and they collected the rent due to them. Had he sought release from the lease, they would not have released him until the term expired. May they accept a higher offer from someone else before his lease expires, or not?
He replied:
They may not accept a higher offer in these circumstances, whether the property is an endowment, belongs to an orphan, or is otherwise owned.
Anyone who considers it permissible to accept a higher offer while refusing to allow the tenant to withdraw when he wishes has contravened the consensus of the Muslims. If the lease is invalid or impermissible, both the landlord and the tenant may withdraw from it. If it is valid and binding, neither may terminate it merely for a higher rent or the like, without grounds warranting termination. To treat it as revocable on the landlord’s side but binding on the tenant’s side is contrary to the consensus of the Muslims.
Moreover, if the trustee claims that he did not lease these premises, or that he leased them under an invalid contract, this would call his administration and integrity into question, for it amounts to an admission on his part that he is handing over