35b/45: Chapter
Sunan an-Nasai 3865 — Obedience and the Limits of Sharecropping
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
Sharecropping Hadith: Obedience Is Better Than Material Gain
Sunan an-Nasai : 3865
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3865
أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ قُدَامَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، عَنْ أُسَيْدِ بْنِ ظُهَيْرٍ، قَالَ أَتَى عَلَيْنَا رَافِعُ بْنُ خَدِيجٍ فَقَالَ - وَلَمْ أَفْهَمْ - فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَهَاكُمْ عَنْ أَمْرٍ كَانَ يَنْفَعُكُمْ وَطَاعَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ مِمَّا يَنْفَعُكُمْ نَهَاكُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ الْحَقْلِ - وَالْحَقْلُ الْمُزَارَعَةُ بِالثُّلُثِ وَالرُّبُعِ - فَمَنْ كَانَ لَهُ أَرْضٌ فَاسْتَغْنَى عَنْهَا فَلْيَمْنَحْهَا أَخَاهُ أَوْ لِيَدَعْ وَنَهَاكُمْ عَنِ الْمُزَابَنَةِ. وَالْمُزَابَنَةُ الرَّجُلُ يَجِيءُ إِلَى النَّخْلِ الْكَثِيرِ بِالْمَالِ الْعَظِيمِ فَيَقُولُ خُذْهُ بِكَذَا وَكَذَا وَسْقًا مِنْ تَمْرِ ذَلِكَ الْعَامِ.
Usaid bin Zuhair Narrated from:
Rafi' bin Khadij came to us and I was not sure what he meant. He said: 'The Messenger of Allah has forbidden to you something that used to benefit you, but obedience to the Messenger of Allah is better for you than that which benefits you.The Messenger of Allah has forbidden Al-Haql for you. Al-Haql means share-cropping the land in return for one-third or one-quarter (of the yield). So whoever has land that he does not need, let him give it to his brother (to cultivate it) or let him leave it. And he has forbidden to you Al-Muzabanah. Al-Muzabanah means when a man has a great number of datepalms and says: Take it in return for (a certain number of) Wasqs of dried dates this year.'
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3865In-book reference : Book 35b, Hadith 9English translation : Vol. 4, Book 35, Hadith 3896
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3865
This narration explains the prohibition of Al-Haql and Al-Muzabanah in clear terms. Rafi bin Khadij says that the Messenger of Allah forbade something that had benefited the people, yet obedience to the Messenger was better than that benefit. Al-Haql is defined here as sharecropping land for one-third or one-quarter of the yield. If a person owns land that he does not need, he is told to give it to his brother to cultivate or leave it. Al-Muzabanah is also forbidden. It is described as handing over a large number of date palms for a fixed number of Wasqs of dried dates from that year. The hadith keeps lawful obedience ahead of expected gain.
What we learn from this hadith
- A useful custom is not placed above obedience to the Messenger of Allah.
- Sharecropping for one-third or one-quarter is identified here as Al-Haql and is forbidden.
- Land that is not needed may be given to a brother to cultivate.
- The form of Al-Muzabanah described in the report is forbidden.
