Chapter

The Book of Agriculture

كتاب المزارعة

Arabic Text

أَخْبَرَنِي زِيَادُ بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عُلَيَّةَ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا أَيُّوبُ، عَنْ يَعْلَى بْنِ حَكِيمٍ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ، قَالَ كُنَّا نُحَاقِلُ بِالأَرْضِ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَنُكْرِيهَا بِالثُّلُثِ وَالرُّبُعِ وَالطَّعَامِ الْمُسَمَّى فَجَاءَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ رَجُلٌ مِنْ عُمُومَتِي فَقَالَ نَهَانِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ أَمْرٍ كَانَ لَنَا نَافِعًا وَطَوَاعِيَةُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ أَنْفَعُ لَنَا نَهَانَا أَنْ نُحَاقِلَ بِالأَرْضِ وَنُكْرِيَهَا بِالثُّلُثِ وَالرُّبُعِ وَالطَّعَامِ الْمُسَمَّى وَأَمَرَ رَبَّ الأَرْضِ أَنْ يَزْرَعَهَا أَوْ يُزْرِعَهَا وَكَرِهَ كِرَاءَهَا وَمَا سِوَى ذَلِكَ‏.‏‏ أَيُّوبُ لَمْ يَسْمَعْهُ مِنْ يَعْلَى‏.‏‏

English Translation

It was narrated that Rafi' bin Khadij said:

"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.'"