35b/45: Chapter
Sunan an-Nasai 3868 — Prohibition of Rent Taken from the Produce
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
Hadith About Produce-Based Rent: Do Not Lease for Part of the Yield
Sunan an-Nasai : 3868
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3868
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي حَصِينٍ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَافِعُ بْنُ خَدِيجٍ نَهَانَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ أَمْرٍ كَانَ لَنَا نَافِعًا وَأَمْرُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى الرَّأْسِ وَالْعَيْنِ نَهَانَا أَنْ نَتَقَبَّلَ الأَرْضَ بِبَعْضِ خَرْجِهَا. تَابَعَهُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُهَاجِرٍ.
Rafi' bin Khadij Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah forbade us to do something that was beneficial for us, (but we respect and obey the command of the Messenger of Allah). He forbade us to lease land in return for some of its produce.
[2] He said an expression interpreted to infer that is based upon the other versions: "The order of the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ is upon the head and the eye." And in this version he mentioned leasing a long with sharecropping as the means of payment. See No. 3904.Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3868In-book reference : Book 35b, Hadith 12English translation : Vol. 4, Book 35, Hadith 3899
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3868
This hadith about produce-based rent reports that the Messenger of Allah forbade an arrangement that had been beneficial to the people. Rafi bin Khadij makes clear that the command of the Messenger was accepted with respect and obedience. The specific practice named is taking land in return for part of what it produces. The narration is brief, so its meaning should stay close to that wording. It does not discuss every possible form of land rental, fixed cash payment, or later legal detail. Its stated focus is a lease tied to some of the land’s output. The report also shows the attitude of accepting prophetic instruction even when a previous arrangement appeared useful to those involved.
What we learn from this hadith
- The narration forbids leasing land for part of its produce.
- The people acknowledged that the former arrangement had been useful to them.
- The command of the Messenger of Allah was received with respect and obedience.
- The report should not be stretched to contract forms that it does not name.
