The Book of Agriculture

كتاب المزارعة

Chapter 2: Mentioning The Differing Hadiths Regarding The Prohibition Of Leasing Out Land In Return For One Third, Or One Quarter Of The Harvest And The Different Wordings Reported By The Narrators

It was narrated from Ayyub who said

"Ya'la bin Al-Hakim wrote to me (saying): 'I heard Sulaiman bin Yasar narrating from Rafi' bin Khadij, who said: "We used to lease land on the basis of Al-Muhaqalah, leasing it in return for one-third or one-quarter of the yield, and a specified amount of food (produce)."'"

It was narrated that Rafi' bin Khadij said

"We used to lease land on the basis of Al-Muhaqalah during the time of the Messenger of Allah." He said that one of his paternal uncles came to them and said: "The Messenger of Allah has forbidden me to do something that was beneficial for us, but obedience to Allah and His Messenger is more beneficial." We said: "What is that?" He said: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever has land, let him cultivate it (himself) or give it to his brother to cultivate, and not lease it in return for one-third or one-quarter of the yield nor a specified amount of food (produce).'"

It was narrated that Rafi' bin Khadij said

"My paternal uncle told me that they used to lease land at the time of the Messenger of Allah in return for what grew on the banks of the streams, and a share of the crop stipulated by the owner of the land. But the Messenger of Allah forbade us that." I (Hanzalah) said to Rafi': "How about leasing it in return for Dinars and Dirhams?" Rafi' said: "There is nothing wrong with (leasing it) for Dinars and Dirhams."

It was narrated that Hanzalah bin Qais Al-Ansari said

"I asked Rafi' bin Khadij about leasing land in return for Dinars and silver. He said: 'There is nothing wrong with that. During the time of the Messenger of Allah they used to rent land to one another in return for what grew on the banks of streams and where the springs emerged - some areas of which might give good produce and some might give none at all - and the people did not lease land in any other way. So that was forbidden. But as for leases where the return is known and guaranteed, there is nothing wrong with that.'"

It was narrated that Hanzalah bin Qais said

"I asked Rafi' bin Khadij about leasing land. He said: 'The Messenger of Allah forbade leasing land.' I said: 'For gold or silver?' He said: 'No, rather he forbade leasing it in return for what the land produces. As for gold and silver, there is nothing wrong with that.'"

It was narrated that Hanzalah bin Qais said

"I asked Rafi' bin Khadij about leasing uncultivated land in return for gold and silver. He said: '(It is) permissible and there is nothing wrong with that. That is the due of the land.'"

It was narrated that Rafi' bin Khadij said

"The Messenger of Allah forbade us to lease our land. At that time there was no gold nor silver. A man would lease his land in return for what grew on the banks of streams and where the springs emerged, and in return for something specific."

It was narrated from Az-Zuhri that Salim bin 'Abdullah narrated something similar.

Salim bin Abdullah narrated that Abdullah bin Umar used to lease his land until he heard that Rafi bin Khadij forbade leasing land. Abdullah met him and said

"O Ibn Khadij, what do you narrate from the Messenger of Allah about leasing land?" Rafi said to Abdullah: "I heard two of my uncles, who had been present at Badr, telling the people in the house, that the Messenger of Allah forbade leasing land." Abdullah said: "I knew that at the time of the Messenger of Allah land used to be leased." Then Abdullah was concerned that the Messenger of Allah had decreed something and he had not known about it, so he stopped leasing land.

It was narrated that Az-Zuhri said

"We heard that Rafi bin Khadij used to narrate that his paternal uncles -whom he said had been present at Badr- (said) that the Messenger of Allah forbade leasing land."

It was narrated from Shu'aib

"Az-Zuhri said: 'Ibn Al-Musayyab used to say: 'There is nothing wrong with leasing land in return for gold and silver, and Rafi bin Khadij used to narrate that the Messenger of Allah forbade that.''"

It was narrated from Ibn Shihab that Rafi bin Khadij said

"The Messenger of Allah forbade leasing land." Ibn Shihab said: "Rafi was asked after that: 'How did they lease land?' He said: 'In return for a set amount of food (produce), and it was stipulated that we would have whatever grew on the banks of the streams and springs.'"

Rafi bin Khadij told Abdullah bin Umar that his paternal uncles went to the Messenger of Allah, then they came back and told them that the Messenger of Allah had forbidden leasing arable land. Abdullah said

"We knew that he owned some arable land that he leased at the time of the Messenger of Allah in return for whatever grew on the banks of the streams of water, and for a certain amount of straw, I do not know how much it was." Ibn Awn reported it from Nafi but he said: "From some of his paternal uncles."

It was narrated from Nafi'

"Ibn 'Umar used to take rent for some land, then he heard something from Rafi' bin Khadij. He took me by the hand and went off to Rafi', and I was with him. Rafi' narrated to him from some of his paternal uncles, that the Messenger of Allah forbade leasing land, so 'Abdullah stopped (doing that) afterward."

It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar that he used to take rent for land until Rafi' narrated to him, from some of his paternal uncles, that the Messenger of Allah forbade leasing land. So he stopped doing that afterward.

It was narrated from Nafi' that Ibn 'Umar used to lease out his arable land until he heard at the end of Mu'awiyah's Khilafah, that Rafi' bin Khadij used to narrate, that the Messenger of Allah had forbidden that. He went to him -and I (Nafi') was with him- and asked him (about that). He said

"The Messenger of Allah used to forbid leasing arable land." So Ibn 'Umar stopped (doing that) afterward. When he was asked about it he said: "Rafi' bin Khadij said that the Prophet forbade that."

It was narrated from Nafi' that 'Abdullah bin 'Umar used to lease arable land, then he was told that Rafi' bin Khadij narrated from the Messenger of Allah that he forbade that. Nafi' said

"He went out to him (and met him) in Al-Balat, and I was with him. He asked him (about that) and he said: 'Yes, the Messenger of Allah forbade leasing arable land.' So 'Abdullah stopped leasing it."

It was narrated from Nafi'

"A man told Ibn 'Umar that Rafi' bin Khadij had narrated a Hadith concerning leasing of land. He and I, along with the man who had told him that, went to Rafi', and he told us that the Messenger of Allah had forbidden leasing land. So 'Abdullah stopped leasing land."

It was narrated from Nafi' that Rafi' bin Khadij told 'Abdullah bin 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah forbade leasing arable land.

It was narrated from Nafi' that he narrated

"Ibn 'Umar used to lease his land in return for some of its produce. Then he heard that Rafi' bin Khadij warned against that. He said: 'The Messenger of Allah forbade that.' He said: 'We used to lease our land before we came to know Rafi'.' Then he (Ibn 'Umar) became unsure, so he put his hand on my shoulder and we went to Rafi'. 'Abdullah said to him: 'Did you hear the Prophet forbid leasing land?' Rafi' said: 'I heard the Prophet say: Do not lease land in return for anything.'"