Leasing out Land (Kira) in return for food

Rafi b. Khadij (Allah be pleased with him) reported: We used to give on rent land during the lifetime of Messenger of Allah ﷺ. We rented it on the share of one-third or one-fourth of the (produce) along with a definite quantity of corn. One day a person from among my uncles came to us and said: Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade us this act which was a source of benefit to us, but the obedience to Allah and to His Messenger ﷺ is more beneficial to us. He forbade us that we should rent land with one-third or one-fourth of (the produce) and the corn of a measure, and he commanded the owner of land that he should cultivate it or let it be cultivated by other (persons) but he showed disapproval of renting it or anything besides it.

وَحَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ السَّعْدِيُّ، وَيَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ عُلَيَّةَ - عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ يَعْلَى بْنِ حَكِيمٍ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ، قَالَ كُنَّا نُحَاقِلُ الأَرْضَ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَنُكْرِيهَا بِالثُّلُثِ وَالرُّبُعِ وَالطَّعَامِ الْمُسَمَّى فَجَاءَنَا ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ رَجُلٌ مِنْ عُمُومَتِي فَقَالَ نَهَانَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ أَمْرٍ كَانَ لَنَا نَافِعًا وَطَوَاعِيَةُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ أَنْفَعُ لَنَا نَهَانَا أَنْ نُحَاقِلَ بِالأَرْضِ فَنُكْرِيَهَا عَلَى الثُّلُثِ وَالرُّبُعِ وَالطَّعَامِ الْمُسَمَّى وَأَمَرَ رَبَّ الأَرْضِ أَنْ يَزْرَعَهَا أَوْ يُزْرِعَهَا وَكَرِهَ كِرَاءَهَا وَمَا سِوَى ذَلِكَ .

Rafi b. Khadij (Allah be pleased with him) reported: We used to give land on rent, and we rented it on one-third or one-fourth share. The rest of the hadith is the same.

وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، قَالَ كَتَبَ إِلَىَّ يَعْلَى بْنُ حَكِيمٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنَ يَسَارٍ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ، قَالَ كُنَّا نُحَاقِلُ بِالأَرْضِ فَنُكْرِيهَا عَلَى الثُّلُثِ وَالرُّبُعِ . ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ ابْنِ عُلَيَّةَ .

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Rafi' b. Khadij with the same chain of transmitters, but in it no mention is made of some of his uncles.

وَحَدَّثَنِيهِ أَبُو الطَّاهِرِ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي جَرِيرُ بْنُ حَازِمٍ، عَنْ يَعْلَى بْنِ، حَكِيمٍ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ عَنْ رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَلَمْ يَقُلْ عَنْ بَعْضِ عُمُومَتِهِ .

Rafi (Allah be pleased with him) reported that Zuhair b. Rafi (who was his uncle) came to me and said: Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade a practice which was useful for us. I said: What is this? (I believe) that whatrver Messenger of Allah ﷺ says is absolutely true. He (Zuhair) said that he (the Holy Prophet) asked me: What do you do with your cultivable lands? I said: Allah's Messenger, we rent those irrigated by canals for dry dates or barley. He said: Don't do that. Cultivate them or let them be cultivated (by others) or retain them yourself.

حَدَّثَنِي إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو مُسْهِرٍ، حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ حَمْزَةَ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو عَمْرٍو الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي النَّجَاشِيِّ، مَوْلَى رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ عَنْ رَافِعٍ، أَنَّ ظُهَيْرَ بْنَ رَافِعٍ، - وَهُوَ عَمُّهُ - قَالَ أَتَانِي ظُهَيْرٌ فَقَالَ لَقَدْ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ أَمْرٍ كَانَ بِنَا رَافِقًا . فَقُلْتُ وَمَا ذَاكَ مَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَهُوَ حَقٌّ . قَالَ سَأَلَنِي كَيْفَ تَصْنَعُونَ بِمَحَاقِلِكُمْ فَقُلْتُ نُؤَاجِرُهَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ عَلَى الرَّبِيعِ أَوِ الأَوْسُقِ مِنَ التَّمْرِ أَوِ الشَّعِيرِ . قَالَ " فَلاَ تَفْعَلُوا ازْرَعُوهَا أَوْ أَزْرِعُوهَا أَوْ أَمْسِكُوهَا " .