35b/45: Chapter
Sunan an-Nasai 3915 — Leasing Land for Its Produce
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
Do Not Lease Land for Its Produce: Ibn Umar Checks the Report
Sunan an-Nasai : 3915
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3915
أَخْبَرَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَمْزَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي حَفْصُ بْنُ عِنَانٍ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، أَنَّهُ حَدَّثَهُ قَالَ كَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ يُكْرِي أَرْضَهُ بِبَعْضِ مَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا فَبَلَغَهُ أَنَّ رَافِعَ بْنَ خَدِيجٍ يَزْجُرُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ وَقَالَ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ كُنَّا نُكْرِي الأَرْضَ قَبْلَ أَنْ نَعْرِفَ رَافِعًا ثُمَّ وَجَدَ فِي نَفْسِهِ فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَى مَنْكِبِي حَتَّى دُفِعْنَا إِلَى رَافِعٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ أَسَمِعْتَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَهَى عَنْ كِرَاءِ الأَرْضِ فَقَالَ رَافِعٌ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " لاَ تُكْرُوا الأَرْضَ بِشَىْءٍ ".
Nafi Narrated from:
Ibn 'Umar used to lease his land in return for some of its produce. Then he heard that Rafi' bin Khadij warned against that. He said: 'The Messenger of Allah forbade that.' He said: 'We used to lease our land before we came to know Rafi'.' Then he (Ibn 'Umar) became unsure, so he put his hand on my shoulder and we went to Rafi'. 'Abdullah said to him: 'Did you hear the Prophet forbid leasing land?' Rafi' said: 'I heard the Prophet say: Do not lease land in return for anything.'
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3915In-book reference : Book 35b, Hadith 59English translation : Vol. 4, Book 35, Hadith 3946
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3915
This narration states that Ibn 'Umar used to lease his land for part of what it produced. He then heard that Rafi' bin Khadij warned against this and said that the Messenger of Allah had forbidden it. Ibn 'Umar admitted that they had leased land before knowing Rafi’s report, but he became uneasy and went with Nafi' to ask Rafi' directly. Ibn 'Umar asked whether he had heard the Prophet forbid leasing land. Rafi' replied that he heard the Prophet say, “Do not lease land in return for anything.” The report combines a specific earlier practice, personal verification, and a direct quoted statement. Its central search topic is leasing land for produce, and its main lesson is to confirm the wording before changing one’s practice.
What we learn from this hadith
- Ibn Umar had leased land for a share of its produce.
- He became concerned after hearing Rafi’s warning.
- He went directly to Rafi and asked what he had heard.
- Rafi quoted the instruction not to lease land in return for anything.
