35b/45: Chapter
Sunan an-Nasai 3864 — Obedience Before Material Benefit
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
Obedience to the Prophet in Land Leasing and Trade
Sunan an-Nasai : 3864
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3864
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، سَمِعْتُ مُجَاهِدًا، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أُسَيْدِ بْنِ ظُهَيْرٍ، قَالَ أَتَانَا رَافِعُ بْنُ خَدِيجٍ فَقَالَ نَهَانَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ أَمْرٍ كَانَ لَنَا نَافِعًا وَطَاعَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ نَهَاكُمْ عَنِ الْحَقْلِ وَقَالَ " مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ أَرْضٌ فَلْيَمْنَحْهَا أَوْ لِيَدَعْهَا ". وَنَهَى عَنِ الْمُزَابَنَةِ. وَالْمُزَابَنَةُ الرَّجُلُ يَكُونُ لَهُ الْمَالُ الْعَظِيمُ مِنَ النَّخْلِ فَيَجِيءُ الرَّجُلُ فَيَأْخُذُهَا بِكَذَا وَكَذَا وَسْقًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ.
Usaid bin Zuhair Narrated from:
Rafi' bin Khadij came to us and said: 'The Messenger of Allah has forbidden something that was beneficial for us, but obedience to the Messenger of Allah is better for you. He has forbidden Al-Haql (renting land in return for one-third or one-quarter of the produce) to you, and says: Whoever has land, let him give it (to someone else to cultivate it) or leave it. And he has forbidden Al-Muzabanah. Al-Muzabanah means when a man has a lot of date-palm trees and another man comes and takes it in return for a certain number of Wasqs of dried dates.'
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3864In-book reference : Book 35b, Hadith 8English translation : Vol. 4, Book 35, Hadith 3895
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3864
This hadith joins obedience to the Prophet with rules about land and dates. Rafi bin Khadij says the Messenger of Allah forbade an arrangement that had been useful to them, but obedience to him was better. The hadith then names Al-Haql, meaning renting land for one-third or one-quarter of the produce. A person who owns land is told to give it to someone else to cultivate or leave it. The narration also forbids Al-Muzabanah, described as taking a large group of date palms in return for a fixed number of Wasqs of dried dates. The central lesson is not to place a material benefit above a clear prophetic instruction, even when the old practice seemed useful.
What we learn from this hadith
- Obedience to the Messenger of Allah is placed above a practice that brings material benefit.
- Al-Haql, as described here, is forbidden.
- Unused land may be given to another person to cultivate or left unused.
- Al-Muzabanah is forbidden in the form explained in this narration.
