Agriculture

كتاب المزارعة

Chapter 1: Sowing seeds and planting trees

And the Almighty said: {Did you see what you are plowing, are you planning it, or we are the ones who are the rusks, and if we have made it, we will make it.
Narrated Anas bin Malik

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "There is none amongst the Muslims who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a charitable gift for him."

Chapter 2: The results of indulging in agricultural equipment

Narrated Abu Umama al-Bahili

I saw some agricultural equipment and said: "I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying: "There is no house in which these equipment enters except that Allah will cause humiliation to enter it."

Chapter 3: Keeping a watchdog for the farm

Narrated Abu Huraira

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Whoever keeps a dog, one Qirat of the reward of his good deeds is deducted daily, unless the dog is used for guarding a farm or cattle." Abu Huraira (in another narration) said from the Prophet, "unless it is used for guarding sheep or farms, or for hunting." Narrated Abu Hazim from Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A dog for guarding cattle or for hunting."

Narrated As-Sa'ib bin Yazid

Abu Sufyan bin Abu Zuhair, a man from Azd Shanu'a and one of the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, 'If one keeps a dog which is meant for guarding neither a farm nor cattle, one Qirat of the reward of his good deeds is deducted daily." I said, "Did you hear this from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)?" He said, "Yes, by the Lord of this Mosque."

Chapter 4: Employing oxen for ploughing

Narrated Abu Huraira

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "While a man was riding a cow, it turned towards him and said, 'I have not been created for this purpose (i.e. carrying), I have been created for ploughing." The Prophet (ﷺ) added, "I, Abu Bakr and `Umar believe in the story." The Prophet (ﷺ) went on, "A wolf caught a sheep, and when the shepherd chased it, the wolf said, 'Who will be its guard on the day of wild beasts, when there will be no shepherd for it except me?' "After narrating it, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I, Abu Bakr and `Umar too believe it." Abu Salama (a sub-narrator) said, "Abu Bakr and `Umar were not present then."

Chapter 5: To say to another, "Look after my date-palm trees...

Narrated Abu Huraira

The Ansar said to the Prophet (ﷺ) "Distribute the date palm trees between us and our emigrant brothers." He replied, "No." The Ansar said (to the emigrants), "Look after the trees (water and watch them) and share the fruits with us." The emigrants said, "We listen and obey."

Chapter 6: The cutting of trees and date-palm trees

Anas said: The commander of the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said.
Narrated `Abdullah

The Prophet (ﷺ) got the date palm trees of the tribe of Bani-An-Nadir burnt and the trees cut down at a place called Al-Buwaira . Hassan bin Thabit said in a poetic verse: "The chiefs of Bani Lu'ai found it easy to watch fire spreading at Al-Buwaira."

Chapter 7

Narrated Rafi` bin Khadij

We worked on farms more than anybody else in Medina. We used to rent the land at the yield of specific delimited portion of it to be given to the landlord. Sometimes the vegetation of that portion was affected by blights etc., while the rest remained safe and vice versa, so the Prophet (ﷺ) forbade this practice. At that time gold or silver were not used (for renting the land). If they provided the seeds, they would get so-and-so much.

Chapter 8: Temporary share-cropping contract

Qays Ibn Muslim said about Abu Ja'far, he said that the people of the House of Hijrah in Madinah only cultivate on a third and a quarter. He cultivated Ali, Saad Bin Malik, Abdullah bin mas'ud, Omar bin Abdulaziz, Al-Qasim, Arwa, Al-Abu Bakr, al-Omar, Al-Ali and Ibn Sirin. Abdurrahman Ibn al-Aswad said I was sharing Abdurrahman Ibn Yazid in the transplant. And the age of the people is based on the fact that if the age of the seed comes from him, then he has the half, and if they come with the seed, then they have the same. Al-Hasan said it was okay for the land to be for one of them, so they all spent, so he went out, he was between them, and he saw that pink. Hassan said it's okay to harvest cotton on the half. Ibrahim, ibn Sirin, Atta, Al-Hakam, Al-Zuhri, and Qatada said that it is okay to give the garment by a third or a quarter and so on. Muammar said it's okay to have cattle on the third and quarter indefinitely.
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar

The Prophet (ﷺ) concluded a contract with the people of Khaibar to utilize the land on the condition that half the products of fruits or vegetation would be their share. The Prophet (ﷺ) used to give his wives one hundred Wasqs each, eighty Wasqs of dates and twenty Wasqs of barley. (When `Umar became the Caliph) he gave the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) the option of either having the land and water as their shares, or carrying on the previous practice. Some of them chose the land and some chose the Wasqs, and `Aisha chose the land.

Chapter 9: The contract of share-cropping

Narrated Ibn `Umar

The Prophet (ﷺ) made a deal with the people of Khaibar that they would have half the fruits and vegetation of the land they cultivated.

Chapter 10

Narrated `Amr

I said to Tawus, "I wish you would give up Mukhabara (Sharecropping), for the people say that the Prophet forbade it." On that Tawus replied, "O `Amr! I give the land to sharecroppers and help them. No doubt; the most learned man, namely Ibn `Abbas told me that the Prophet (ﷺ) had not forbidden it but said, 'It is more beneficial for one to give his land free to one's brother than to charge him a fixed rental."

Chapter 11: Share-cropping with the Jews

Narrated Ibn `Umar

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) gave the land of Khaibar to the Jew's on the condition that they work on it and cultivate it, and be given half of its yield.

Chapter 12: What conditions are disliked in share-cropping

Narrated Rafi`

We worked on farms more than anybody else in Medina. We used to rent the land and say to the owner, "The yield of this portion is for us and the yield of that portion is for you (as the rent)." One of those portions might yield something and the other might not. So, the Prophet (ﷺ) forbade us to do so.

Chapter 13: If a person invests the money of someone else in cultivation

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "While three men were walking, It started raining and they took shelter (refuge) in a cave in a mountain. A big rock rolled down from the mountain and closed the mouth of the cave. They said to each other, "Think of good deeds which you did for Allah's sake only, and invoke Allah by giving reference to those deeds so that He may remove this rock from you." One of them said, 'O Allah! I had old parents and small children and I used to graze the sheep for them. On my return to them in the evening, I used to milk (the sheep) and start providing my parents first of all before my children. One day I was delayed and came late at night and found my parents sleeping. I milked (the sheep) as usual and stood by their heads. I hated to wake them up and disliked to give milk to my children before them, although my children were weeping (because of hunger) at my feet till the day dawned. O Allah! If I did this for Your sake only, kindly remove the rock so that we could see the sky through it.' So, Allah removed the rock a little and they saw the sky. The second man said, 'O Allah! I was in love with a cousin of mine like the deepest love a man may have for a woman. I wanted to outrage her chastity but she refused unless I gave her one hundred Dinars. So, I struggled to collect that amount. And when I sat between her legs, she said, 'O Allah's slave! Be afraid of Allah and do not deflower me except rightfully (by marriage).' So, I got up. O Allah! If I did it for Your sake only, please remove the rock.' The rock shifted a little more. Then the third man said, 'O Allah! I employed a laborer for a Faraq of rice and when he finished his job and demanded his right, I presented it to him, but he refused to take it. So, I sowed the rice many time till I gathered cows and their shepherd (from the yield). (Then after some time) He came and said to me, 'Fear Allah (and give me my right)." I said, 'Go and take those cows and the shepherd.' He said, 'Be afraid of Allah! Don't mock at me.' I said, 'I am not mocking at you. Take (all that).' So, he took all that. O Allah! If I did that for Your sake only, please remove the rest of the rock.' So, Allah removed the rock."

Chapter 14: The Auqaf, Kharaj, share-cropping and other agreements

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah Allaah be upon him) said to 'Umar: "You give charity in its origin, it is not sold, but its fruit is spent, so you give it in charity."
Narrated Zaid bin Aslam from his father

`Umar said, "But for the future Muslim generations, I would have distributed the land of the villages I conquer among the soldiers as the Prophet (ﷺ) distributed the land of Khaibar."

Chapter 15: Cultivating the neglected land

Ali saw this in the land of desolation in Kufa favorable. 'Umar said, "Whoever resurrects a dead land is his." It was narrated from 'Amr ibn 'Awf that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah Allaah be upon him) said: "There is no right for a Muslim, and there is no right to an unjust race in it." It is narrated from Jabir from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah Allaah be upon him).
Narrated `Aisha

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who cultivates land that does not belong to anybody is more rightful (to own it)." `Urwa said, "`Umar gave the same verdict in his Caliphate."

Chapter 16

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar

While the Prophet (ﷺ) was passing the night at his place of rest in Dhul-Hulaifa in the bottom of the valley (of Aqiq), he saw a dream and it was said to him, "You are in a blessed valley." Musa said, "Salim let our camels kneel at the place where `Abdullah used to make his camel kneel, seeking the place where Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to take a rest, which is situated below the mosque which is in the bottom of the valley; it is midway between the mosque and the road."

Narrated `Umar

While the Prophet (ﷺ) was in Al-`Aqiq he said, "Someone (meaning Gabriel) came to me from my Lord tonight (in my dream) and said, 'Offer the prayer in this blessed valley and say (I intend to perform) `Umra along with Hajj (together).' "

Chapter 17: The lease can be continued according to the approval of both the parties

Narrated Ibn `Umar

`Umar expelled the Jews and the Christians from Hijaz. When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had conquered Khaibar, he wanted to expel the Jews from it as its land became the property of Allah, His Apostle, and the Muslims. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) intended to expel the Jews but they requested him to let them stay there on the condition that they would do the labor and get half of the fruits. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) told them, "We will let you stay on thus condition, as long as we wish." So, they (i.e. Jews) kept on living there until `Umar forced them to go towards Taima' and Ariha'.