Ibn Majah

Benefits and Issues:
➊
If a person digs a well in a place that is not owned by anyone, he becomes the owner of that well and, to a certain extent, of the land nearby. However, he should not prevent others from benefiting from its water.

➋
If there is grass, etc., growing near that land and people’s animals graze there, those animals will come to the well to drink water. He should not prevent those animals from drinking water from the well.

➌
The intention behind preventing animals from drinking water could also be that, in this way, those animals will graze elsewhere and the grass here will be left for his own animals. This is selfishness and a trick to take possession of grass that is common property among Muslims; therefore, it is prohibited.