Bringing barren Lands into Cultivation ; and the use of Water - Section 2 Mishkat al-Masabih 2996
Arabic hadith text
عَنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ سَمُرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «مَنْ أَحَاطَ حَائِطًا عَلَى الْأَرْضِ فَهُوَ لَهُ» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ
Translation
Al-Hasan said that Samura reported the Prophet as saying, “If anyone puts a wall round land*, it belongs to him.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.* Mirqat, iii, 369 says the reference is to barren land.