"Muhammad used to say: 'In my view land is like the wealth put into a Mudarabah (limited partnership) contract. Whatever is valid with regard to the wealth put into a Mudarabah partnership, is valid with regard to land, and whatever is not valid with regard to the wealth put into a Mudarabah partnership, then it is not valid with regard to land.'" He said: "He did not see anything wrong with giving all of his land to the plowman on the basis that he would work with it himself, or with his children, and helpers, and oxen, and, that he would not spend anything on it; all expenses were to be paid by the owner of the land."  

كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ يَقُولُ الأَرْضُ عِنْدِي مِثْلُ مَالِ الْمُضَارَبَةِ فَمَا صَلُحَ فِي مَالِ الْمُضَارَبَةِ صَلُحَ فِي الأَرْضِ وَمَا لَمْ يَصْلُحْ فِي مَالِ الْمُضَارَبَةِ لَمْ يَصْلُحْ فِي الأَرْضِ قَالَ وَكَانَ لاَ يَرَى بَأْسًا أَنْ يَدْفَعَ أَرْضَهُ إِلَى الأَكَّارِ عَلَى أَنْ يَعْمَلَ فِيهَا بِنَفْسِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ وَأَعْوَانِهِ وَبَقَرِهِ وَلاَ يُنْفِقَ شَيْئًا وَتَكُونَ النَّفَقَةُ كُلُّهَا مِنْ رَبِّ الأَرْضِ  

It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar that the Prophet gave the datepalms of Khaibar and their land to the Jews of Khaibar, on condition that they would take care of them at their expense, and the Messenger of Allah would have half of whatever they produced.  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ دَفَعَ إِلَى يَهُودِ خَيْبَرَ نَخْلَ خَيْبَرَ وَأَرْضَهَا عَلَى أَنْ يَعْمَلُوهَا مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنَّ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ شَطْرَ مَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا  

It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar that the Prophet gave the datepalms of Khaibar and their land to the Jews of Khaibar on condition that they would take care of them at their expense, and the Messenger of Allah would have half of their fruits.  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ دَفَعَ إِلَى يَهُودِ خَيْبَرَ نَخْلَ خَيْبَرَ وَأَرْضَهَا عَلَى أَنْ يَعْمَلُوهَا بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنَّ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ شَطْرَ ثَمَرَتِهَا  

"Arable land used to be leased out at the time of the Messenger of Allah on condition that the owner of the land would have whatever grew on the banks of the streams and a share of straw, I do not know how much it was."  

أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ كَانَ يَقُولُ كَانَتِ الْمَزَارِعُ تُكْرَى عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى أَنَّ لِرَبِّ الأَرْضِ مَا عَلَى رَبِيعِ السَّاقِي مِنَ الزَّرْعِ وَطَائِفَةً مِنَ التِّبْنِ لاَ أَدْرِي كَمْ هُوَ  

"Two of my paternal uncles used to cultivate (land) in return for one-third or one-quarter of the crop, and my father was their partner. 'Alqamah and Al-Aswad knew about that and did not change anything."  

كَانَ عَمَّاىَ يَزْرَعَانِ بِالثُّلُثِ وَالرُّبُعِ وَأَبِي شَرِيكَهُمَا وَعَلْقَمَةُ وَالأَسْوَدُ يَعْلَمَانِ فَلاَ يُغَيِّرَانِ  

"Ibn 'Abbas said: 'The best thing you can do is for one of you to rent his land out in return for gold and silver.'"  

أَنْ يُؤَاجِرَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَرْضَهُ بِالذَّهَبِ وَالْوَرِقِ  

It was narrated from Ibrahim and Sa'eed bin Jubair that they did not see anything wrong with renting uncultivated land.  

عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَسَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ أَنَّهُمَا كَانَا لاَ يَرَيَانِ بَأْسًا بِاسْتِئْجَارِ الأَرْضِ الْبَيْضَاءِ  

"I do not know that Shuraih ever ruled on Mudarabah disputes except in two ways. He would say to the Mudarib (the one who contributed his labor to the partnership): 'You must provide proof that a calamity befell you so that you may be excused.' Or he would say to the one who invested his money in the partnership: 'You must provide proof that your trustee betrayed his trust, otherwise his oath sworn by Allah that he did not betray you is sufficient.'"  

لَمْ أَعْلَمْ شُرَيْحًا كَانَ يَقْضِي فِي الْمُضَارِبِ إِلاَّ بِقَضَاءَيْنِ كَانَ رُبَّمَا قَالَ لِلْمُضَارِبِ بَيِّنَتَكَ عَلَى مُصِيبَةٍ تُعْذَرُ بِهَا وَرُبَّمَا قَالَ لِصَاحِبِ الْمَالِ بَيِّنَتَكَ أَنَّ أَمِينَكَ خَائِنٌ وَإِلاَّ فَيَمِينُهُ بِاللَّهِ مَا خَانَكَ  

"There is nothing wrong with renting uncultivated land for gold and silver."  

لاَ بَأْسَ بِإِجَارَةِ الأَرْضِ الْبَيْضَاءِ بِالذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَقَالَ إِذَا دَفَعَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مَالاً قِرَاضًا فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَكْتُبَ عَلَيْهِ بِذَلِكَ كِتَابًا كَتَبَ هَذَا كِتَابٌ كَتَبَهُ فُلاَنُ بْنُ فُلاَنٍ طَوْعًا مِنْهُ فِي صِحَّةٍ مِنْهُ وَجَوَازِ أَمْرِهِ لِفُلاَنِ بْنِ فُلاَنٍ أَنَّكَ دَفَعْتَ إِلَىَّ مُسْتَهَلَّ شَهْرِ كَذَا مِنْ سَنَةِ كَذَا عَشْرَةَ آلاَفِ دِرْهَمٍ وُضْحًا جِيَادًا وَزْنَ سَبْعَةٍ قِرَاضًا عَلَى تَقْوَى اللَّهِ فِي السِّرِّ وَالْعَلاَنِيَةِ وَأَدَاءِ الأَمَانَةِ عَلَى أَنْ أَشْتَرِيَ بِهَا مَا شِئْتُ مِنْهَا كُلَّ مَا أَرَى أَنْ أَشْتَرِيَهُ وَأَنْ أُصَرِّفَهَا وَمَا شِئْتُ مِنْهَا فِيمَا أَرَى أَنْ أُصَرِّفَهَا فِيهِ مِنْ صُنُوفِ التِّجَارَاتِ وَأَخْرُجَ بِمَا شِئْتُ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ شِئْتُ وَأَبِيعَ مَا أَرَى أَنْ أَبِيعَهُ مِمَّا أَشْتَرِيهِ بِنَقْدٍ رَأَيْتُ أَمْ بِنَسِيئَةٍ وَبِعَيْنٍ رَأَيْتُ أَمْ بِعَرْضٍ عَلَى أَنْ أَعْمَلَ فِي جَمِيعِ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ بِرَأْيِي وَأُوَكِّلَ فِي ذَلِكَ مَنْ رَأَيْتُ وَكُلُّ مَا رَزَقَ اللَّهُ فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ فَضْلٍ وَرِبْحٍ بَعْدَ رَأْسِ الْمَالِ الَّذِي دَفَعْتَهُ الْمَذْكُورِ إِلَىَّ الْمُسَمَّى مَبْلَغُهُ فِي هَذَا الْكِتَابِ فَهُوَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكَ نِصْفَيْنِ لَكَ مِنْهُ النِّصْفُ بِحَظِّ رَأْسِ مَالِكَ وَلِيَ فِيهِ النِّصْفُ تَامًّا بِعَمَلِي فِيهِ وَمَا كَانَ فِيهِ مِنْ وَضِيعَةٍ فَعَلَى رَأْسِ الْمَالِ فَقَبَضْتُ مِنْكَ هَذِهِ الْعَشَرَةَ آلاَفِ دِرْهَمٍ الْوُضْحَ الْجِيَادَ مُسْتَهَلَّ شَهْرِ كَذَا فِي سَنَةِ كَذَا وَصَارَتْ لَكَ فِي يَدِي قِرَاضًا عَلَى الشُّرُوطِ الْمُشْتَرَطَةِ فِي هَذَا الْكِتَابِ أَقَرَّ فُلاَنٌ وَفُلاَنٌ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يُطْلِقَ لَهُ أَنْ يَشْتَرِيَ وَيَبِيعَ بِالنَّسِيئَةِ كَتَبَ وَقَدْ نَهَيْتَنِي أَنْ أَشْتَرِيَ وَأَبِيعَ بِالنَّسِيئَةِ