22/2. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1552b — Cultivating Land as Charity
The Virtue of Planting and Cultivating
Cultivating Land as Charity in Hadith
Sahih Muslim : 1552b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1552b
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رُمْحٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم دَخَلَ عَلَى أُمِّ مُبَشِّرٍ الأَنْصَارِيَّةِ فِي نَخْلٍ لَهَا فَقَالَ لَهَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ غَرَسَ هَذَا النَّخْلَ أَمُسْلِمٌ أَمْ كَافِرٌ " . فَقَالَتْ بَلْ مُسْلِمٌ . فَقَالَ " لاَ يَغْرِسُ مُسْلِمٌ غَرْسًا وَلاَ يَزْرَعُ زَرْعًا فَيَأْكُلَ مِنْهُ إِنْسَانٌ وَلاَ دَابَّةٌ وَلاَ شَىْءٌ إِلاَّ كَانَتْ لَهُ صَدَقَةٌ " .
Jabir Narrated from:
Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) visited Umm Mubashshir al-Ansariya at her orchard of date-palms and said to her: Who has planted these trees of dates-a Muslim or a non-Muslim? She said: A Muslim, of course, whereupon he said: Never a Muslim plants, or cultivates a land, and it out of that men eat, or the animals eat, or anything else eats, but that becomes charity on his (planter's) behalf.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1552bIn-book reference : Book 22, Hadith 8USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 10, Hadith 3765
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1552b
This hadith about cultivating land as charity takes place in the orchard of Umm Mubashshir al-Ansariya. Allah's Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) asked whether the date-palms had been planted by a Muslim or a non-Muslim. When she said they were planted by a Muslim, he explained the reward: no Muslim plants or cultivates land, and then humans, animals, or anything else eats from it, except that it becomes charity on his behalf. The teaching is simple and warm. Farming, planting, and useful growth are not only worldly work. When others benefit from them, they can become sadaqah for the one who planted or cultivated.
What we learn from this hadith
- Planting and cultivating land can be rewarded as charity.
- The benefit may reach humans, animals, and other creatures.
- The hadith connects useful farming with sadaqah.
- The reward is tied to others eating from what was planted or grown.
