have allowed him to make use of it, then there is no harm in that; it becomes a gift if they have formally gifted it to him, or he may benefit from its yield if they have permitted him to do so. He is not obliged to give you anything unless the owners of the land have given you a portion of it or of its produce. If they have not given you anything—neither land nor yield—then you have no entitlement to it.

In short, the properties remain under the ownership of their proprietors, even if they are absent. The brother who is present may not take possession of them without their permission, nor may he exploit them except with their permission. Whatever they allow him to use is permissible for him, and whatever they do not allow remains theirs.
***

HARSH CIRCUMSTANCES

Question: From the very beginning of my life I have experienced harsh circumstances and repeated, severe crises that have finally left me in a state of constant, oppressive tightness of the chest. Although I try, as best I can, to overcome it, whenever I face certain disagreements I find myself—without being conscious of it—ripping and tearing my clothes. This happened to me recently, just as it had happened twice before. Afterwards I felt intense remorse, sought much refuge with Allah, and prayed for His forgiveness and pardon and that He heal me of my condition. Since that incident I have been in a continual state of fear and panic, especially now that I am approaching fifty years of age, and I ask Allah for a good ending. I kindly request that you shed light on this problem, explain the Sharīʿah ruling concerning someone who behaves in this manner, and advise me on what I must do for my heart to regain tranquillity. May Allah reward you with the best of rewards.