35b/45: Chapter
Sunan an-Nasai 3912 — Direct Confirmation of the Leasing Ban
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
Directly Confirming the Hadith About Leasing Farms
Sunan an-Nasai : 3912
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3912
أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْحَكَمِ بْنِ أَعْيَنَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعَيْبُ بْنُ اللَّيْثِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ كَثِيرِ بْنِ فَرْقَدٍ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ، كَانَ يُكْرِي الْمَزَارِعَ فَحُدِّثَ أَنَّ رَافِعَ بْنَ خَدِيجٍ يَأْثُرُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ نَهَى عَنْ ذَلِكَ. قَالَ نَافِعٌ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ عَلَى الْبَلاَطِ وَأَنَا مَعَهُ فَسَأَلَهُ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ كِرَاءِ الْمَزَارِعِ. فَتَرَكَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ كِرَاءَهَا.
Nafi Narrated from:
'Abdullah bin 'Umar used to lease arable land, then he was told that Rafi' bin Khadij narrated from the Messenger of Allah that he forbade that. Nafi' said: "He went out to him (and met him) in Al-Balat, and I was with him. He asked him (about that) and he said: 'Yes, the Messenger of Allah forbade leasing arable land.' So 'Abdullah stopped leasing it."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3912In-book reference : Book 35b, Hadith 56English translation : Vol. 4, Book 35, Hadith 3943
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3912
This narration again shows 'Abdullah bin 'Umar checking a report before changing his conduct. He had been leasing arable land. When he was told that Rafi' bin Khadij narrated a prohibition from the Messenger of Allah, he went out to meet him at Al-Balat. Nafi' was with him. Ibn 'Umar asked, and Rafi' answered clearly that the Messenger of Allah forbade leasing arable land. Ibn 'Umar then stopped leasing it. The hadith does not give the amount of rent or describe the crop-sharing terms in this version. Its main focus is direct confirmation. Rather than acting on a vague report alone, Ibn 'Umar went to the narrator, asked a clear question, received a clear answer, and then left the practice.
What we learn from this hadith
- Ibn Umar did not ignore the report about farm leasing.
- He met Rafi bin Khadij at Al-Balat and asked him directly.
- Rafi confirmed the prohibition in clear words.
- Ibn Umar stopped leasing the farms after that meeting.
