Leasing out Land (Kira) for gold and silver

Hanzala b. Qais reported that he asked Rafi b. Khadij (Allah be pleased with him) about renting of land, whereupon he said: Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade the renting of land. I said: Is it forbidden (even if it is paid) in gold (dinar) and silver (dirham)? Thereupon he said: If it is paid in gold and silver, there is no harm in it.

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى مَالِكٍ عَنْ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ حَنْظَلَةَ بْنِ قَيْسٍ، أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ رَافِعَ بْنَ خَدِيجٍ عَنْ كِرَاءِ الأَرْضِ، فَقَالَ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ كِرَاءِ الأَرْضِ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ أَبِالذَّهَبِ وَالْوَرِقِ فَقَالَ أَمَّا بِالذَّهَبِ وَالْوَرِقِ فَلاَ بَأْسَ بِهِ .

Hanzala b. Qais al-Ansri reported: I asked Rafi' b. Khadij about the renting of land for gold and silver, whereupon he said: There is no harm in it for the people let out land situated near canals and at the ends of the streamlets or portion of fields. (But it so happened) that at times this was destroyed and that was saved. whereas (on other occasions) this portion was saved and the other was destroyed and thus no rent was payable to the people (who let out lands) but for this one (which was saved). It was due to this that he (the Holy Prophet) prohibited it. But if there is something definite and reliable (e. g. money). there is no harm in it.

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ، أَخْبَرَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، عَنْ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ أَبِي، عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ حَدَّثَنِي حَنْظَلَةُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ الأَنْصَارِيُّ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ رَافِعَ بْنَ خَدِيجٍ عَنْ كِرَاءِ الأَرْضِ، بِالذَّهَبِ وَالْوَرِقِ فَقَالَ لاَ بَأْسَ بِهِ إِنَّمَا كَانَ النَّاسُ يُؤَاجِرُونَ عَلَى عَهْدِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ عَلَى الْمَاذِيَانَاتِ وَأَقْبَالِ الْجَدَاوِلِ وَأَشْيَاءَ مِنَ الزَّرْعِ فَيَهْلِكُ هَذَا وَيَسْلَمُ هَذَا وَيَسْلَمُ هَذَا وَيَهْلِكُ هَذَا فَلَمْ يَكُنْ لِلنَّاسِ كِرَاءٌ إِلاَّ هَذَا فَلِذَلِكَ زُجِرَ عَنْهُ . فَأَمَّا شَىْءٌ مَعْلُومٌ مَضْمُونٌ فَلاَ بَأْسَ بِهِ .

Hanzala reported that he heard Rafi' b. Khadij (Allah be pleased with him) say: We were the major agriculturists of the Ansar and so we let out land (saying): The produce of this (part of land) would be ours and (the produce) of that would be theirs. But it so happened that at times this (land) gave harvest, but the other one produced nothing. So he (the Holy Prophet) forbade this. But so far as the payment in silver (dirham, a coin) is concerned, he did not forbid.

حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ حَنْظَلَةَ، الزُّرَقِيِّ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَافِعَ بْنَ خَدِيجٍ، يَقُولُ كُنَّا أَكْثَرَ الأَنْصَارِ حَقْلاً - قَالَ - كُنَّا نُكْرِي الأَرْضَ عَلَى أَنَّ لَنَا هَذِهِ وَلَهُمْ هَذِهِ فَرُبَّمَا أَخْرَجَتْ هَذِهِ وَلَمْ تُخْرِجْ هَذِهِ فَنَهَانَا عَنْ ذَلِكَ وَأَمَّا الْوَرِقُ فَلَمْ يَنْهَنَا .