35b/45: Chapter
Sunan an-Nasai 3863 — Al-Haql and Al-Muzabanah Explained
Mentioning The Differing Hadiths Regarding The Prohibition Of Leasing Out Land In Return For One Third, Or One Quarter Of The Harvest And The Different Wordings Reported By The Narrators
Al-Haql and Al-Muzabanah Hadith: Two Forbidden Transactions
Sunan an-Nasai : 3863
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3863
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ آدَمَ - قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُفَضَّلٌ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ مُهَلْهَلٍ - عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، عَنْ أُسَيْدِ بْنِ ظُهَيْرٍ، قَالَ جَاءَنَا رَافِعُ بْنُ خَدِيجٍ فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَهَاكُمْ عَنِ الْحَقْلِ - وَالْحَقْلُ الثُّلُثُ وَالرُّبُعُ - وَعَنِ الْمُزَابَنَةِ. وَالْمُزَابَنَةُ شِرَاءُ مَا فِي رُءُوسِ النَّخْلِ بِكَذَا وَكَذَا وَسْقًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ.
Usaid bin Zuhair Narrated from:
Rafi' bin Khadij came to us and said: 'The Messenger of Allah has forbidden for you Al-Haql. Al-Haql is the third and the fourth. And Al-Muzabanah. Al-Muzabanah is to buy what is at the top of the date-palm trees in return for a certain number of Wasqs of dried dates.'
[1] Meaning the third or fourth of yield paid to lease the land. And it is not clear if this is the explanation of Râfî', or one of the narrators, while it appears - from the various narrations - that it is from Râfî' and is mentioned again.[2] This definition is similar to Al-Arâyâ (see No. 3910) which was an exception.Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3863In-book reference : Book 35b, Hadith 7English translation : Vol. 4, Book 35, Hadith 3894
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3863
This hadith explains two transactions that the Messenger of Allah forbade. The first is Al-Haql, described here as taking one-third or one-quarter. In this setting, it refers to an agricultural arrangement tied to a share of the produce. The second is Al-Muzabanah. The narration defines it as buying dates still at the tops of palm trees in exchange for a fixed number of Wasqs of dried dates. The hadith is useful because it does not only name the prohibited dealings; it also explains what the terms mean in this report. A reader searching for the Al-Haql and Al-Muzabanah hadith can see that both involve specified exchange arrangements connected to crops or dates.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Messenger of Allah forbade Al-Haql as described in this narration.
- Al-Haql is identified here with a one-third or one-quarter share arrangement.
- Al-Muzabanah is described as exchanging dates on trees for a fixed amount of dried dates.
- Named trade terms should be understood according to the explanation given in the text.
