38. Agriculture
Sahih Ibn Hibban 5188No grade recorded
سَأَلْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَعْقِلٍ عَنِ الْمُزَارَعَةِ قَالَ
✧ I asked 'Abd Allah b. Ma'qil about sharecropping, and he said:
كَانَتْ لِرِجَالٍ مِنَّا فُضُولُ أَرَضِينَ يُؤَاجِرُونَهَا عَلَى الثُّلُثِ وَالرُّبُعِ وَالنِّصْفِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ فُضُولُ أَرَضِينَ فَلْيَزْرَعْهَا أَوْ لِيُزْرِعْهَا أَخَاهُ فَإِنْ أَبَى فَلْيُمْسِكْ أَرْضَهُ»
✧ Some of our men had surplus lands that they used to rent out for one-third, one-fourth, or one-half [of the produce]. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whoever has surplus land, let him cultivate it himself or let him give it to his brother to cultivate. If he refuses, let him retain his land.”
«مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ أَرْضٌ فَلْيَزْرَعْهَا فَإِنْ عَجَزَ عَنْهَا فَلْيَمْنَحْهَا أَخَاهُ»
✧ “Whoever has land, let him cultivate it. If he is unable to do so, let him grant it to his brother.”
Sahih Ibn Hibban 5191No grade recorded
نَهَانَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ أَمْرٍ كَانَ لَنَا مُوَافِقًا فَقُلْتُ مَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَهُوَ حَقٌّ فَقَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «مَا تَصْنَعُونَ بِمَحَاقِلِكُمْ؟ » قُلْنَا نُؤَاجِرُهَا عَلَى الثُّلُثِ وَالرُّبُعِ وَالْأَوْسُقِ مِنَ الْبُرِّ وَالشَّعِيرِ قَالَ «فَلَا تَفْعَلُوا ازْرَعُوهَا أَوْ أَزْرِعُوهَا»
✧ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade us from something that was convenient for us. I said, “Whatever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ says is true.” He said, “What do you do with your cultivated fields?” We said, “We rent them out for one-third, one-fourth, and certain measures of wheat and barley.” He said, “Do not do that. Cultivate them yourselves or let them be cultivated.”
نَهَى عَنِ الْمُحَاقَلَةِ وَالْمُزَابَنَةِ وَالْمُخَابَرَةِ وَأَنْ يُبَاعَ النَّخْلُ حَتَّى يُشْقِحَ وَالْإِشْقَاحُ أَنْ تَحْمَرَّ أَوْ تَصْفَرَّ أَوْ يُطْعَمَ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ»
✧ He forbade muhaqalah, muzabanah, and mukhabarah, and [he forbade] selling dates until they begin to ripen — ishqah means that they turn red or yellow or that some of them become edible.
نَهَى عَنْ كِرَاءِ الْأَرْضِ»
✧ He forbade leasing land.
انْطَلَقَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ وَانْطَلَقْنَا مَعَهُ حَتَّى دَخَلْنَا عَلَى رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ وَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ عُمَرَ إِنِّي نُبِّئْتُ أَنَّكَ تُحَدِّثُ عَنْ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُ نَهَى عَنْ كِرَاءِ الْمَزَارِعِ قَالَ نَعَمْ فَكَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ إِذَا سُئِلَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ يَقُولُ
✧ Ibn 'Umar set out and we set out with him until we entered upon Rafi' b. Khadij. Ibn 'Umar said to him, “I have been informed that you narrate from the Prophet of Allah ﷺ that he forbade leasing farmland.” He said, “Yes.” After that, whenever Ibn 'Umar was asked, he would say:
Sahih Ibn Hibban 5195No grade recorded
«لَمْ يُحَرِّمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْمُزَارَعَةَ وَلَكِنْ أَمَرَ النَّاسَ أَنْ يَرْفُقَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا»
✧ “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not make sharecropping unlawful, but he commanded people to be kind to one another.”
«كُنَّا نُكْرِي الْأَرْضَ فَيَسْتَثْنِي صَاحِبَ الْأَرْضِ مَا عَلَى الْمَاذِيَانَاتِ وَأَقْبَالِ الْجَدَاوِلِ فَيَهْلِكُ هَذَا وَيَسْلَمُ هَذَا فَنَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ ذَلِكَ» فَقَالَ رَافِعٌ «أَمَّا بِشَيْءٍ مَضْمُونٍ مَعْلُومٍ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِهِ»
✧ “We used to lease land, and the landowner would stipulate for himself what was on the water channels and the mouths of the irrigation canals, so this would perish and that would remain safe. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade that.” Rafi' said, “As for renting for something guaranteed and fixed, there is no harm in it.”
«كَانَتِ الْأَرْضُ تُكْرَى بِالْمَاذِيَانَاتِ وَشَيْءٍ مِنَ التِّبْنِ يُسْتَثْنَى بِهِ فَنَهَاهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ كِرَاءِ الْأَرْضِ» قَالَ رَافِعٌ «فَأَمَّا الذَّهَبُ وَالْوَرِقُ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِهِ»
✧ “Land used to be leased for [the produce of] the water channels and some straw that was stipulated as an exception for the landowner, so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade them from leasing land.” Rafi' said, “As for gold and silver, there is no harm in it.”
كَانَ أَحَدُنَا إِذَا اسْتَغْنَى عَنْ أَرْضِهِ وَافْتَقَرَ إِلَيْهَا غَيْرُهُ زَارَعَهَا بِالثُّلُثِ وَالرُّبُعِ وَالنِّصْفِ وَكَانَ يَشْتَرِطُ ثَلَاثَ جَدَاوِلَ وَمَا سَقَى الرَّبِيعِ وَكُنَّا نُعَالِجُهَا عِلَاجًا شَدِيدًا بِالْبَقَرِ وَالْحَدِيدِ وَبِأَشْيَاءَ وَكُنَّا نُصِيبُ مِنْهَا « فَأَتَانَا رَافِعُ بْنُ خَدِيجٍ فَقَالَ » إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَهَاكُمْ عَنْ أَمْرٍ كَانَ يَنْفَعُكُمْ عَنِ الْحَقْلِ وَالْحَقْلُ الثُّلُثُ وَالرُّبُعُ فَمَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ أَرْضٌ فَاسْتَغْنَى عَنْهَا فَلْيَمْنَحْهَا أَخَاهُ أَوْ لِيَزْرَعْ وَنَهَاكُمْ عَنِ الْمُزَابَنَةِ
✧ When one of us no longer needed his land and someone else needed it, he would let him farm it for one-third, one-fourth, or one-half [of the produce], and he would stipulate three irrigation canals and what the spring watered. We used to work it with hard labor using oxen and iron tools and other things, and we would get a share from it. Then Rafi' b. Khadij came to us and said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has forbidden you from something that was beneficial to you regarding the haql — and haql means [sharecropping for] one-third or one-fourth. Whoever has land and does not need it, let him grant it to his brother or let him cultivate it. And he forbade you from muzabanah.”
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَاتَلَ أَهْلَ خَيْبَرَ حَتَّى أَلْجَأَهُمْ إِلَى قَصْرِهِمْ فَغَلَبَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ وَالزَّرْعِ وَالنَّخْلِ فَصَالَحُوهُ عَلَى أَنْ يُجْلَوْا مِنْهَا وَلَهُمْ مَا حَمَلَتْ رِكَابُهُمْ وَلِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ الصَّفْرَاءُ وَالْبَيْضَاءُ وَيَخْرُجُونَ مِنْهَا فَاشْتَرَطَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنْ لَا يَكْتُمُوا وَلَا يُغَيِّبُوا شَيْئًا فَإِنْ فَعَلُوا فَلَا ذِمَّةَ لَهُمْ وَلَا عِصْمَةَ فَغَيَّبُوا مَسْكًا فِيهِ مَالٌ وَحُلِيٌّ لِحُيَيِّ بْنِ أَخْطَبَ كَانَ احْتَمَلَهُ مَعَهُ إِلَى خَيْبَرَ حِينَ أُجْلِيَتِ النَّضِيرُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِعَمِّ حُيَيٍّ «مَا فَعَلَ مَسْكُ حُيَيٍّ الَّذِي جَاءَ بِهِ مِنَ النَّضِيرِ؟ » فَقَالَ أَذْهَبَتْهُ النَّفَقَاتُ وَالْحُرُوبُ فَقَالَ ﷺ «الْعَهْدُ قَرِيبٌ وَالْمَالُ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ» فَدَفَعَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى الزُّبَيْرِ بْنِ الْعَوَّامِ فَمَسَّهُ بِعَذَابٍ وَقَدْ كَانَ حُيَيٌّ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ قَدْ دَخَلَ خَرِبَةً فَقَالَ قَدْ رَأَيْتُ حُيَيًّا يَطُوفُ فِي خَرِبَةٍ هَاهُنَا فَذَهَبُوا فَطَافُوا فَوَجَدُوا الْمَسْكَ فِي خَرِبَةٍ فَقَتَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ابْنَيْ أَبِي حَقِيقٍ وَأَحَدُهُمَا زَوْجُ صَفِيَّةَ بِنْتِ حُيَيِّ بْنِ أَخْطَبَ وَسَبَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ نِسَاءَهُمْ وَذَرَارِيَّهُمْ وَقَسَمَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ لِلنَّكْثِ الَّذِي نَكَثُوهُ وَأَرَادَ أَنْ يُجْلِيَهُمُ مِنْهَا فَقَالُوا يَا مُحَمَّدُ دَعْنَا نَكُونُ فِي هَذِهِ الْأَرْضِ نُصْلِحُهَا وَنَقُومُ عَلَيْهَا وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلَا لِأَصْحَابِهِ غِلْمَانُ يَقُومُونَ عَلَيْهَا فَكَانُوا لَا يَتَفَرَّغُونَ أَنْ يَقُومُوا فَأَعْطَاهُمْ خَيْبَرَ عَلَى أَنَّ لَهُمُ الشَّطْرَ مِنْ كُلِّ زَرْعٍ وَنَخْلٍ وَشَيْءٍ مَا بَدَا لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ
✧ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ fought the people of Khaybar until he drove them into their fortress. He gained control over the land, the crops, and the palm trees. They made peace with him on the condition that they would leave it, taking what their mounts could carry, and that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would have the gold and silver, and they would depart from it. He stipulated that they should not conceal or hide anything; if they did, they would have no protection or safeguard. They hid a leather bag containing wealth and jewelry belonging to Huyayy b. Akhtab, which he had carried with him to Khaybar when the Nadir were expelled. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Huyayy's uncle, 'What happened to Huyayy's leather bag that he brought from the Nadir?' He said, 'Expenses and wars consumed it.' He ﷺ said, 'The pact is recent, and the wealth is more than that.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ handed him over to al-Zubayr b. al-Awwam, who inflicted punishment on him. Huyayy had previously entered a ruin, and he said, 'I saw Huyayy going around in a ruin here.' They went and searched and found the leather bag in a ruin. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ killed the two sons of Abu Huqayq, one of whom was the husband of Safiyyah bt. Huyayy b. Akhtab. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ took their women and children captive and divided their wealth because of the breach they had committed. He wanted to expel them from it, but they said, 'O Muhammad, let us remain in this land to cultivate it and tend to it.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his companions had no servants to tend to it, and they were not free to do so. So he gave them Khaybar on the condition that they would have half of every crop, palm produce, and anything else, as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw fit.
«مَنْ لَمْ يَذَرِ الْمُخَابَرَةَ فَلْيَأْذَنْ بِحَرْبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ»
✧ Whoever does not abandon sharecropping, let him give notice of war from Allah and His Messenger.
Sahih Ibn Hibban 5201Hasan sahih
«كُنَّا نُكْرِي الْأَرْضَ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِمَا عَلَى السَّوَاقِي مِنَ الزَّرْعِ وَبِمَا سُقِيَ بِالْمَاءِ مِنْهَا فَنَهَانَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ ذَلِكَ وَرَخَّصَ لَنَا أَنْ نُكْرِيَهَا بِالذَّهَبِ وَالْوَرِقِ»
✧ We used to lease land during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in exchange for what grew on the water channels and what was irrigated by water from it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade us from that and allowed us to lease it for gold and silver.