35b/45: Chapter
Sunan an-Nasai 3876 — How to Use Extra Agricultural Land
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 Extra Land: Cultivate It, Give It, or Keep It
Sunan an-Nasai : 3876
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3876
أَخْبَرَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ حَمْزَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ كَانَ لأُنَاسٍ فُضُولُ أَرَضِينَ يُكْرُونَهَا بِالنِّصْفِ وَالثُّلُثِ وَالرُّبُعِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ أَرْضٌ فَلْيَزْرَعْهَا أَوْ يُزْرِعْهَا أَوْ يُمْسِكْهَا ". وَافَقَهُ مَطَرُ بْنُ طَهْمَانَ.
Jabir Narrated from:
Some people had some extra land which they leased out in return for half of the yield, or one-third, or one-quarter. The Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever has land, let him cultivate it, or give it to his brother to cultivate or keep it (without cultivating it).'
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3876In-book reference : Book 35b, Hadith 20English translation : Vol. 4, Book 35, Hadith 3907
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3876
This hadith describes people who had extra land and rented it out for half, one-third, or one-quarter of the yield. The Messenger of Allah then gave three choices to the landowner: cultivate it, let someone else cultivate it, or keep it. The report directly connects the instruction to crop-share rental arrangements involving known fractions of the harvest. It does not provide a wider list of commercial contracts or discuss cash rent in this wording. The main lesson for using extra agricultural land is practical and restrained. An owner may work the land, allow another person to work it, or hold it. The hadith also warns readers not to assume that a profitable custom is automatically approved when prophetic guidance states otherwise.
What we learn from this hadith
- The people had been renting extra land for half, one-third, or one-quarter of the yield.
- The landowner may cultivate the land personally.
- The owner may let another person cultivate it.
- The owner may also keep the land without cultivating it.
