21/21. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1550b — Better Than Specified Produce
Lending Land
Hadith About Mukhabara and Lending Land
Sahih Muslim : 1550b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1550b
وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو، وَابْنُ، طَاوُسٍ عَنْ طَاوُسٍ، أَنَّهُ كَانَ يُخَابِرُ قَالَ عَمْرٌو فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ لَوْ تَرَكْتَ هَذِهِ الْمُخَابَرَةَ فَإِنَّهُمْ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَهَى عَنِ الْمُخَابَرَةِ . فَقَالَ أَىْ عَمْرُو أَخْبَرَنِي أَعْلَمُهُمْ بِذَلِكَ يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَمْ يَنْهَ عَنْهَا إِنَّمَا قَالَ " يَمْنَحُ أَحَدُكُمْ أَخَاهُ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ عَلَيْهَا خَرْجًا مَعْلُومًا " .
Tawus Narrated from:
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 (ﷺ) forbade Mukhabara. He said: Amr, one who has informed me has the best knowledge of it among them (he meant Ibn Abbas). (He said) that Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) 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.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1550bIn-book reference : Book 21, Hadith 157USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 10, Hadith 3754
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1550b
This hadith about Mukhabara gives Tawus's own explanation. He used to let out his land on rent. Amr advised him to leave this practice because people said the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم forbade Mukhabara. Tawus replied that Ibn Abbas, whom he described as having the best knowledge of it among them, informed him that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did not prohibit it altogether. Rather, he said that one of you lending land to his brother is better than taking a specified amount of produce from it. The report is important because it carefully limits the claim. It teaches a preference for giving use of land, while preserving Tawus's wording about not prohibiting it altogether.
What we learn from this hadith
- Tawus was asked to leave Mukhabara because of what people claimed.
- He cited Ibn Abbas as his source for the meaning.
- The wording says the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did not prohibit it altogether.
- Lending land is presented as better than taking a specified amount.
