Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
ahmad:24883Mūsá b. Dāwud > Ibn Lahīʿah > Abū al-Aswad > ʿUrwahaʿan ʿĀʾishah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Whoever develops or cultivates a land that does not belong to anyone, he has the most right to it."  

أحمد:٢٤٨٨٣حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ دَاوُدَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي الْأَسْوَدِ عَنْ عُرْوَةَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَنْ عَمَرَ أَرْضًا لَيْسَتْ لِأَحَدٍ فَهُوَ أَحَقُّ بِهَا  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Ṭabarānī, Suyūṭī
bukhari:2335Yaḥyá b. Bukayr > al-Layth > ʿUbaydullāh b. Abū Jaʿfar > Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > ʿUrwah > ʿĀʾishah

The Prophet ﷺ said, "He who cultivates land that does not belong to anybody is more rightful (to own it)." ʿUrwa said, "ʿUmar gave the same verdict in his Caliphate."  

البخاري:٢٣٣٥حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ؓ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ أَعْمَرَ أَرْضًا لَيْسَتْ لأَحَدٍ فَهْوَ أَحَقُّ قَالَ عُرْوَةُ قَضَى بِهِ عُمَرُ ؓ فِي خِلاَفَتِهِ  

tabarani:10935[Chain 1] al-Miqdām b. Dāwud > Asad b. Mūsá [Chain 2] al-Ḥusayn b. Isḥāq al-Tustarī > Abū al-Rabīʿ al-Zahrānī > ʿUmar b. Rabāḥ > Ibn Ṭāwus from his father > Ibn ʿAbbās ؓ ā

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , said, "Whoever revives barren land, he is more entitled to it."  

الطبراني:١٠٩٣٥حَدَّثَنَا الْمِقْدَامُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ ثنا أَسَدُ بْنُ مُوسَى ح وَحَدَّثَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ التُّسْتَرِيُّ ثنا أَبُو الرَّبِيعِ الزَّهْرَانِيُّ قَالَا ثنا عُمَرُ بْنُ رَبَاحٍ عَنِ ابْنِ طَاوُسٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ؓ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «مَنْ أَحْيَا أَرْضًا مَيْتَةً فَهُوَ أَحَقُّ بِهَا»