35b/45: Chapter
Sunan an-Nasai 3896 — How Al-Muhaqalah Land Rent Worked
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
Al-Muhaqalah Meaning in a Crop-Share Land Lease
Sunan an-Nasai : 3896
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3896
أَخْبَرَنِي زَكَرِيَّا بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، قَالَ كَتَبَ إِلَىَّ يَعْلَى بْنُ حَكِيمٍ أَنِّي سَمِعْتُ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنَ يَسَارٍ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ، قَالَ كُنَّا نُحَاقِلُ الأَرْضَ نُكْرِيهَا بِالثُّلُثِ وَالرُّبُعِ وَالطَّعَامِ الْمُسَمَّى. رَوَاهُ سَعِيدٌ عَنْ يَعْلَى بْنِ حَكِيمٍ.
Ayyub Narrated from:
Ya'la bin Al-Hakim wrote to me (saying): 'I heard Sulaiman bin Yasar narrating from Rafi' bin Khadij, who said: We used to lease land on the basis of Al-Muhaqalah, leasing it in return for one-third or one-quarter of the yield, and a specified amount of food (produce)."'"
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3896In-book reference : Book 35b, Hadith 40English translation : Vol. 4, Book 35, Hadith 3927
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3896
This narration records how Rafi' bin Khadij described Al-Muhaqalah in their practice. They leased land for one-third or one-quarter of the yield, or for a stated amount of food or produce. This is useful for readers searching for Al-Muhaqalah meaning because the text gives the payment structure used in that land arrangement. Unlike nearby reports, the supplied translation here does not include the Prophet's prohibition or a ruling. It simply reports what they used to do. That difference matters. We should not write as though this sentence alone states approval or disapproval. Its educational value is descriptive: it shows a crop-share lease based on a fraction of output or a fixed amount of produce. Any legal conclusion would need the other narrations that directly state the ruling.
What we learn from this hadith
- The practice described involved leasing land for one-third of the yield.
- It also included leases for one-quarter of the yield.
- A stated amount of food or produce could be used in the arrangement.
- This wording describes the practice but does not itself state a ruling.
