35b/45: Chapter
Sunan an-Nasai 3904 — Verifying Hadith Before Changing Practice
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
Verify a Hadith Before Acting: Ibn Umar and Land Leasing
Sunan an-Nasai : 3904
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3904
أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ شُعَيْبِ بْنِ اللَّيْثِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، عَنْ جَدِّي، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُقَيْلُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي سَالِمُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ، كَانَ يُكْرِي أَرْضَهُ حَتَّى بَلَغَهُ أَنَّ رَافِعَ بْنَ خَدِيجٍ كَانَ يَنْهَى عَنْ كِرَاءِ الأَرْضِ فَلَقِيَهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ يَا ابْنَ خَدِيجٍ مَاذَا تُحَدِّثُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي كِرَاءِ الأَرْضِ فَقَالَ رَافِعٌ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ سَمِعْتُ عَمَّىَّ - وَكَانَا قَدْ شَهِدَا بَدْرًا - يُحَدِّثَانِ أَهْلَ الدَّارِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَهَى عَنْ كِرَاءِ الأَرْضِ. قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَلَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ فِي عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّ الأَرْضَ تُكْرَى ثُمَّ خَشِيَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ أَنْ يَكُونَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَحْدَثَ فِي ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا لَمْ يَكُنْ يَعْلَمُهُ فَتَرَكَ كِرَاءَ الأَرْضِ. أَرْسَلَهُ شُعَيْبُ بْنُ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ.
Salim bin `Abdullah Narrated from:
Abdullah bin Umar used to lease his land until he heard that Rafi bin Khadij forbade leasing land. Abdullah met him and said: "O Ibn Khadij, what do you narrate from the Messenger of Allah about leasing land?" Rafi said to Abdullah: "I heard two of my uncles, who had been present at Badr, telling the people in the house, that the Messenger of Allah forbade leasing land." Abdullah said: "I knew that at the time of the Messenger of Allah land used to be leased." Then Abdullah was concerned that the Messenger of Allah had decreed something and he had not known about it, so he stopped leasing land.
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3904In-book reference : Book 35b, Hadith 48English translation : Vol. 4, Book 35, Hadith 3935
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3904
This narration highlights both land leasing and careful verification. 'Abdullah bin 'Umar had been leasing his land. When he heard that Rafi' bin Khadij reported a prohibition, he did not ignore the news or rely only on his earlier knowledge. He met Rafi' and asked what he narrated from the Messenger of Allah. Rafi' said that two of his uncles who had attended Badr reported that the Messenger of Allah forbade leasing land. Ibn 'Umar remembered that land had been leased during the Prophet’s time, yet he worried that a later decision may have reached others without reaching him. Because of that concern, he stopped leasing his land. The text presents a careful response: ask, listen, compare what is known, and act cautiously when a prophetic report may have been missed.
What we learn from this hadith
- Ibn Umar personally checked the report instead of relying on hearsay.
- Earlier practice did not stop him from considering a report he may not have known.
- He stopped leasing land out of concern that a later instruction had reached others.
- Religious reports should be handled with care and direct verification.
