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
"Whoever has land, let him cultivate it or give it to his brother to cultivate, and not lease it to his brother."
It was narrated from Rafi' bin Khadij that the Messenger of Allah forbade Al-Muhaqalah and Al-Muzabanah.
"At the time of the Messenger of Allah we used to lease land on the basis of Al-Muhaqalah, so we would lease it in return for one-third or one-quarter of the yield, or a specified amount of food (produce). One day, a man among my paternal uncles came 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 for us. He has forbidden us to lease land on the basis of Al-Muhaqalah and to lease it in return for one-third or one-quarter of the yield, and for a specified amount of food (produce). And he commanded the landowner to cultivate it (himself) or to give it to someone else to cultivate. He did not like leasing it or anything else.'"
"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.'"
"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.
"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.''"
"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."
"I heard Ibn 'Umar say: 'We did not see anything wrong with Al-Khibr until last year, when Rafi' said that the Prophet of Allah forbade it.'"
"Zuhair bin Rafi' came to us and said: 'The Messenger of Allah forbade me to do something that was convenient for us.' I said: 'What was that?' He said: 'The command of the Messenger of Allah is true. He asked me: What do you do with your land? I said: We rent it out in return for one-quarter (of the yield) and a number of Wasqs of dates or barley. He said: Do not do that. Cultivate it, give it to someone else to cultivate, or keep it.'"
"Today the Messenger of Allah has forbidden something which was convenient for you, but following his command is an act of obedience (to Allah) and is good. He forbade Al-Haql."
Chapter 3: Mentioning The Different Wordings With Regard To Sharecropping
"I do not know that Shuraih ever ruled on Mudarabah disputes except in two ways. He would say to the Mudarib (the one who contributed his labor to the partnership): 'You must provide proof that a calamity befell you so that you may be excused.' Or he would say to the one who invested his money in the partnership: 'You must provide proof that your trustee betrayed his trust, otherwise his oath sworn by Allah that he did not betray you is sufficient.'"
Chapter 5: A Proxy Partnership Between Four Persons According To Those Who Permit It
Allah says: 0 you who believe! Fulfill (your) obligations [Al-Ma'idah:1]. This is a partnership formed between so and so, so and so, so and so and so and so, based on capital which they have collected of one type, and currency, and have combined it, so that it is now mixed, and none of them can tell which is his money. The share and rights of each partner are equal, and they will use this money for trade, whether buying or selling, for cash, or on credit, in all transactions, making decisions collectively or
individually, each working independently of the others based on his own opinion, and what he sees fit. Whatever commitment or loan any one of the persons mentioned in this contract makes, then it is binding on each of his companions mentioned in this contract. All bounty and profits that Allah bestows over the capital amount, which is stated in this contract, is to be divided equally between all four. Any loss is to be borne equally by each of them. Each of the four persons mentioned in this contract appoints the others as his deputy (Wakil) who may demand every right, and debt, and deal with every dispute, concerning this contract, to dispute on behalf of the others with anyone who is disputing with them, or seek their dues. And each of them makes the others his executor (to act on his behalf after he dies), pay off his debts, and carry out the instructions in his will.
Signed by so and so, so and so, so and so and so and so.
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
"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 from Az-Zuhri that Salim bin 'Abdullah narrated something similar.
"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."
"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."
"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' that Rafi' bin Khadij told 'Abdullah bin 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah forbade leasing arable land.
It was narrated from Rafi' bin Khadij that the Messenger of Allah forbade leasing land.
"I bear witness that I heard Ibn 'Umar asking about Al-Khibr (the agreement to Al-Mukhabarah) and he said: 'We did not see anything wrong with that, until Ibn Khadij told us earlier that he heard the Messenger of Allah forbidding Al-Khibr.'" Hammad bin Zaid was in accord with the two of them.