35b/45: Chapter
Sunan an-Nasai 3889 — Crops, Costs, and a Land Dispute
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 on a Farming Lease, Crops, and Repaying Expenses
Sunan an-Nasai : 3889
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3889
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الْخَطْمِيِّ، - وَاسْمُهُ عُمَيْرُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ - قَالَ أَرْسَلَنِي عَمِّي وَغُلاَمًا لَهُ إِلَى سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الْمُزَارَعَةِ فَقَالَ كَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ لاَ يَرَى بِهَا بَأْسًا حَتَّى بَلَغَهُ عَنْ رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ حَدِيثٌ فَلَقِيَهُ فَقَالَ رَافِعٌ أَتَى النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَنِي حَارِثَةَ فَرَأَى زَرْعًا فَقَالَ " مَا أَحْسَنَ زَرْعَ ظُهَيْرٍ ". فَقَالُوا لَيْسَ لِظُهَيْرٍ. فَقَالَ " أَلَيْسَ أَرْضُ ظُهَيْرٍ ". قَالُوا بَلَى وَلَكِنَّهُ أَزْرَعَهَا. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " خُذُوا زَرْعَكُمْ وَرُدُّوا إِلَيْهِ نَفَقَتَهُ ". قَالَ فَأَخَذْنَا زَرْعَنَا وَرَدَدْنَا إِلَيْهِ نَفَقَتَهُ. وَرَوَاهُ طَارِقُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ وَاخْتُلِفَ عَلَيْهِ فِيهِ.
Abu Ja'far Al-Khatmi Narrated from:
My paternal uncle sent me with a slave of his, to Sa'eed bin Al-Musayyab to ask him about Al-Muzara'ah. He said: 'Ibn 'Umar did not see anything wrong with it, until he heard the Hadith from Rafi' bin Khadij. Then he met him, and Rafi' said: "The Prophet came to Banu Harithah and saw some crops. He said: 'How good are the crops of Zubair.' They said: 'It is not Zubair's.' He said: 'Is the land not Zubair's?' They said: 'No (it is not his), rather he is leasing it.' The Messenger of Allah said: 'Take your crops and give him what he spent.' So we took our crops, and gave him what he had spent."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3889In-book reference : Book 35b, Hadith 33English translation : Vol. 4, Book 35, Hadith 3920
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3889
This hadith describes a specific farming case. The Prophet saw crops on land associated with Zuhair and learned that the cultivators were leasing the land rather than farming their own land. He told them to take their crops and give the landholder what he had spent. They then took the crops and returned his expenses. For readers searching for a hadith about land leasing in Islam, the key point is the remedy stated in this event. The crop went to those who cultivated it, while the other party's actual spending was repaid. The narration also says that Ibn 'Umar changed his earlier view after hearing Rafi' bin Khadij's report. We should not turn this one event into details not found in the text. Its message centers on correcting the arrangement without ignoring proven expenses.
What we learn from this hadith
- The cultivators were told to take the crops they had grown.
- The landholder was to receive repayment for what he had spent.
- The dispute was resolved by separating the crop from the documented expense.
- Ibn 'Umar reconsidered the matter after hearing the narration.
