The Book of Transactions

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Rafi from the Prophet (may peace be upon him) about this, but he did not make mention of his uncle Zuhair.

Hanzala b. Qais reported that he asked Rafi b. Khadij (Allah be pleased with him) about renting of land, whereupon he said: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) forbade the renting of land. I said: Is it forbidden (even if it is paid) in gold (dinar) and silver (dirham)? Thereupon he said: If it is paid in gold and silver, there is no harm in it.

Hanzala b. Qais al-Ansri reported: I asked Rafi' b. Khadij about the renting of land for gold and silver, whereupon he said: There is no harm in it for the people let out land situated near canals and at the ends of the streamlets or portion of fields. (But it so happened) that at times this was destroyed and that was saved. whereas (on other occasions) this portion was saved and the other was destroyed and thus no rent was payable to the people (who let out lands) but for this one (which was saved). It was due to this that he (the Holy Prophet) prohibited it. But if there is something definite and reliable (e. g. money). there is no harm in it.

Hanzala reported that he heard Rafi' b. Khadij (Allah be pleased with him) say: We were the major agriculturists of the Ansar and so we let out land (saying): The produce of this (part of land) would be ours and (the produce) of that would be theirs. But it so happened that at times this (land) gave harvest, but the other one produced nothing. So he (the Holy Prophet) forbade this. But so far as the payment in silver (dirham, a coin) is concerned, he did not forbid.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Yahya b. Sa'id with the same chain of transmitters.

Abdullah b. al Sa'ib reported: I asked Abdullah b. Ma'qil about Muzara'a (cultivating land on share basis in the produce). He said: Thabit b. Dahhak informed me that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) forbade Muzara'a as Ibn Abu Shaiba forbade it with a slight change of words. He (the narrator) said: I asked Ibn Ma'qil but he did not name 'Abdullah.

Abdullah b. al-Sa'ib reported: We visited 'Abdullah b. Ma'qil and asked him about sharing of crops, whereupon he said: Thabit alleged that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) forbade Muzara'a and commanded leasing it out on rent (for money) and said: There is no harm in it.

Mujahid said to Tiwus: Come along with me to Ibn Rafi b. Khadij in order to listen from him the hadith transmitted on the authority of his father (pertaining to the renting of land) from Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him). He (Tawus) scolded him and said: By Allah, it I were to know that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had forbidden it, I would have never done it. But it has been narrated to me by one who has better knowledge of it amongst them (and he meant Ibn 'Abbas) that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: It is better if a person lends, his land to his brother (for cultivation) than that he gets recognised rent on it.

Tawus reported that he let out his land on rent, whereupon Amr said: I said to him: Abu Abd al-Rahrman, I wish if you abandon this renting of land, for they alleged that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) forbade Mukhabara. He siad: Amr, one who has informed me has the best knowledge of it among them (he meant Ibn Abbas). (He said) that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) did not prohibit it altogether, but said: Lending of land by one among you to his brother is better for him than getting a specified amount of produce from it.

A hadith like this has been transmitted on the authority of Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with them).

Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: If one among you lets out land to his brother, that is better for him than if he receives such and such (the definite thing). Ibn 'Abbis (Allah be pleased with them) said: It is Haql, and in the parlance of the Ansr it is Muhaqala.

Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: He who has land, it is better for him that he should let it out to his brother.