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.  

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  

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.  

أَنَّ لَنَا هَذِهِ وَلَهُمْ هَذِهِ فَرُبَّمَا أَخْرَجَتْ هَذِهِ وَلَمْ تُخْرِجْ هَذِهِ فَنَهَانَا عَنْ ذَلِكَ وَأَمَّا الْوَرِقُ فَلَمْ يَنْهَنَا  

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Yahya b. Sa'id with the same chain of transmitters.  

عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ نَحْوَهُ  

I asked Abdullah b. Ma'qil about Muzara'a (cultivating land on share basis in the produce). He said: Thabit b. Dahhak informed me that Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade Muzara'a as Ibn Abu Shaiba forbade it with a slight change of words. He (the narrator) said: I asked Ibn Ma'qil but he did not name 'Abdullah.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَهَى عَنِ الْمُزَارَعَةِ وَفِي رِوَايَةِ ابْنِ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ نَهَى عَنْهَا وَقَالَ سَأَلْتُ ابْنَ مَعْقِلٍ وَلَمْ يُسَمِّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ  

We visited 'Abdullah b. Ma'qil and asked him about sharing of crops, whereupon he said: Thabit alleged that Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade Muzara'a and commanded leasing it out on rent (for money) and said: There is no harm in it.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَهَى عَنِ الْمُزَارَعَةِ وَأَمَرَ بِالْمُؤَاجَرَةِ وَقَالَ لاَ بَأْسَ بِهَا  

Come along with me to Ibn Rafi b. Khadij in order to listen from him the hadith transmitted on the authority of his father (pertaining to the renting of land) from Allah's Apostle ﷺ. He (Tawus) scolded him and said: By Allah, it I were to know that Messenger of Allah ﷺ had forbidden it, I would have never done it. But it has been narrated to me by one who has better knowledge of it amongst them (and he meant Ibn 'Abbas) that Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: It is better if a person lends, his land to his brother (for cultivation) than that he gets recognised rent on it.  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ فَانْتَهَرَهُ قَالَ إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لَوْ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَهَى عَنْهُ مَا فَعَلْتُهُ وَلَكِنْ حَدَّثَنِي مَنْ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنْهُمْ يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لأَنْ يَمْنَحَ الرَّجُلُ أَخَاهُ أَرْضَهُ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ عَلَيْهَا خَرْجًا مَعْلُومًا  

I said to him: Abu Abd al-Rahrman, I wish if you abandon this renting of land, for they alleged that Allah's Apostle ﷺ forbade Mukhabara. He siad: Amr, one who has informed me has the best knowledge of it among them (he meant Ibn Abbas). (He said) that Allah's Apostle ﷺ did not prohibit it altogether, but said: Lending of land by one among you to his brother is better for him than getting a specified amount of produce from it.  

عَمْرٌو فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ لَوْ تَرَكْتَ هَذِهِ الْمُخَابَرَةَ فَإِنَّهُمْ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ نَهَى عَنِ الْمُخَابَرَةِ فَقَالَ أَىْ عَمْرُو أَخْبَرَنِي أَعْلَمُهُمْ بِذَلِكَ يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ لَمْ يَنْهَ عَنْهَا إِنَّمَا قَالَ يَمْنَحُ أَحَدُكُمْ أَخَاهُ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ عَلَيْهَا خَرْجًا مَعْلُومًا  

A hadith like this has been transmitted on the authority of Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with them).  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ نَحْوَ حَدِيثِهِمْ  

If one among you lets out land to his brother, that is better for him than if he receives such and such (the definite thing). Ibn 'Abbis (Allah be pleased with them) said: It is Haql, and in the parlance of the Ansr it is Muhaqala.  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ لأَنْ يَمْنَحَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَخَاهُ أَرْضَهُ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ عَلَيْهَا كَذَا وَكَذَا لِشَىْءٍ مَعْلُومٍ قَالَ وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ هُوَ الْحَقْلُ وَهُوَ بِلِسَانِ الأَنْصَارِ الْمُحَاقَلَةُ  

He who has land, it is better for him that he should let it out to his brother.  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ أَرْضٌ فَإِنَّهُ أَنْ يَمْنَحَهَا أَخَاهُ خَيْرٌ