What is the ruling if fruit perishes due to a natural disaster after assessment (kharas) but before harvesting (jadhdh)?

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If an assessor (*kharis*) assesses the fruit and a natural disaster (*ja'iha*) subsequently destroys the fruit before harvesting, the assessment becomes void, and the owner is not held accountable for the assessed amount. This ruling is agreed upon by the scholars (Ijma' Ahl al-'Ilm, as reported by Ibn al-Mundhir). This is because, prior to harvesting, the fruit is considered in the same legal state as property over which firm possession has not been established. The evidence for this is that if one purchases fruit and it is destroyed by a natural disaster before possession, the buyer has recourse against the seller.