قَالَ مَالِكٌ : لَا تَقْطَعُ شُفْعَةَ الْغَائِبِ غَيْبَتُهُ، وَإِنْ طَالَتْ غَيْبَتُهُ. وَلَيْسَ لِذَلِكَ عِنْدَنَا حَدٌّ تُقْطَعُ إِلَيْهِ الشُّفْعَةُ. ¤
Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said that if the pre-emptor is absent at the time of sale, his right of pre-emption will not be invalidated, no matter how much time passes.