35b/45: Chapter
Sunan an-Nasai 3873 — Giving Land Is Better Than Taking a Share
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 Giving Land: Better Than Taking an Agreed Return
Sunan an-Nasai : 3873
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3873
أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا زَكَرِيَّا بْنُ عَدِيٍّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ، قَالَ كَانَ طَاوُسٌ يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يُؤَاجِرَ أَرْضَهُ بِالذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَلاَ يَرَى بِالثُّلُثِ وَالرُّبُعِ بَأْسًا فَقَالَ لَهُ مُجَاهِدٌ اذْهَبْ إِلَى ابْنِ رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ فَاسْمَعْ مِنْهُ حَدِيثَهُ. فَقَالَ إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لَوْ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَهَى عَنْهُ مَا فَعَلْتُهُ وَلَكِنْ حَدَّثَنِي مَنْ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ مِنْهُ. ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِنَّمَا قَالَ " لأَنْ يَمْنَحَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَخَاهُ أَرْضَهُ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ عَلَيْهَا خَرَاجًا مَعْلُومًا ". وَقَدِ اخْتُلِفَ عَلَى عَطَاءٍ فِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ مَيْسَرَةَ عَنْ عَطَاءٍ عَنْ رَافِعٍ وَقَدْ تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُنَا لَهُ. وَقَالَ عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ أَبِي سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ عَطَاءٍ عَنْ جَابِرٍ.
`Amr bin Dinar Narrated from:
Tawus regarded it disliked renting out land for gold and silver, but he did not see anything wrong with leasing it in return for one-third or one-quarter (of the yield). Mujahid said to him: 'Go to Ibn Rafi' bin Khadij and listen to his Hadith.' He said: 'By Allah, if I knew that the Messenger of Allah had forbidden that I would not have done it. But my Hadith comes from one who is more knowledgeable than him. Ibn 'Abbas (said) that the Messenger of Allah said: If one of you were to give his land to his brother (to cultivate it), that would be better than taking an agreed portion of the yield."'"
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3873In-book reference : Book 35b, Hadith 17English translation : Vol. 4, Book 35, Hadith 3904
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3873
This report records a discussion about renting agricultural land and then gives a clear statement attributed to the Messenger of Allah through Ibn Abbas. Tawus disliked renting land for gold and silver but had not seen a problem with taking one-third or one-quarter of the yield. Mujahid asked him to hear the report of Ibn Rafi bin Khadij. Tawus answered that he would not act against a known prophetic prohibition, then cited Ibn Abbas: giving one’s land to a brother is better than taking a known return from it. The narration therefore preserves a difference in understanding while praising the free use of land by a brother. It does not erase the discussion or claim that all details are settled in this single report.
What we learn from this hadith
- Tawus expressed different views about cash rent and a share of the yield.
- He said he would not knowingly act against a prohibition from the Messenger of Allah.
- Ibn Abbas reported that giving land to a brother is better than taking an agreed return.
- The narration preserves a discussion rather than hiding the reported difference.
