Tag: Q n A, Bukhari

An Ansari man quarreled with Az-Zubair about a canal in the Harra which was used for irrigating
date-palms. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ), ordering Zubair to be moderate, said, “O Zubair! Irrigate (your land) first
and then leave the water for your neighbor.” The Ansari said, “Is it because he is your aunt’s son?” On
that the color of the face of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) changed and he said, “O Zubair! Irrigate (your land) and
withhold the water till it reaches the walls that are between the pits around the trees.” So, Allah’s
Apostle gave Zubair his full right. Zubair said, “By Allah, the following verse was revealed in that
connection”: “But no, by your Lord They can have No faith Until they make you judge In all disputes
between them.” (4.65)
(The sub-narrator,) Ibn Shihab said to Juraij (another sub-narrator), “The Ansar and the other people
interpreted the saying of the Prophet, ‘Irrigate (your land) and withhold the water till it reaches the
walls between the pits around the trees,’ as meaning up to the ankles.”

`Abdullah bin `Umar said, “I knew that the land was rented for cultivation in the lifetime of Allah’s
Apostle .” Later on Ibn `Umar was afraid that the Prophet (ﷺ) had forbidden it, and he had no knowledge
of it, so he gave up renting his land.

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “While a man was walking he felt thirsty and went down a well and drank water
from it. On coming out of it, he saw a dog panting and eating mud because of excessive thirst. The
man said, ‘This (dog) is suffering from the same problem as that of mine. So he (went down the well),
filled his shoe with water, caught hold of it with his teeth and climbed up and watered the dog. Allah
thanked him for his (good) deed and forgave him.” The people asked, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! Is there a
reward for us in serving (the) animals?” He replied, “Yes, there is a reward for serving any animate.”

Rafi` bin Khadij said, “My two uncles told me that they (i.e. the companions of the Prophet) used to
rent the land in the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ) for the yield on the banks of water streams (rivers) or for a
portion of the yield stipulated by the owner of the land. The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade it.” I said to Rafi`, “What
about renting the land for Dinars and Dirhams?” He replied, “There is no harm in renting for Dinars-
Dirhams. Al-Laith said, “If those who have discernment for distinguishing what is legal from what is
illegal looked into what has been forbidden concerning this matter they would not permit it, for it is
surrounded with dangers.”

Rafi` bin Khadij said, “My two uncles told me that they (i.e. the companions of the Prophet) used to
rent the land in the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ) for the yield on the banks of water streams (rivers) or for a
portion of the yield stipulated by the owner of the land. The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade it.” I said to Rafi`, “What
about renting the land for Dinars and Dirhams?” He replied, “There is no harm in renting for Dinars-
Dirhams. Al-Laith said, “If those who have discernment for distinguishing what is legal from what is
illegal looked into what has been forbidden concerning this matter they would not permit it, for it is
surrounded with dangers.”

Once the Prophet (ﷺ) was narrating (a story), while a bedouin was sitting with him. “One of the
inhabitants of Paradise will ask Allah to allow him to cultivate the land. Allah will ask him, ‘Are you
not living in the pleasures you like?’ He will say, ‘Yes, but I like to cultivate the land.’ ” The Prophet (ﷺ)
added, “When the man (will be permitted he) will sow the seeds and the plants will grow up and get
ripe, ready for reaping and so on till it will be as huge as mountains within a wink. Allah will then say
to him, ‘O son of Adam! Take here you are, gather (the yield); nothing satisfies you.’ ” On that, the
bedouin said, “The man must be either from Quraish (i.e. an emigrant) or an Ansari, for they are
farmers, whereas we are not farmers.” The Prophet (ﷺ) smiled (at this).

We worked on farms more than anybody else in Medina. We used to rent the land and say to the
owner, “The yield of this portion is for us and the yield of that portion is for you (as the rent).” One of
those portions might yield something and the other might not. So, the Prophet (ﷺ) forbade us to do so.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “While three men were walking, It started raining and they took shelter (refuge) in a
cave in a mountain. A big rock rolled down from the mountain and closed the mouth of the cave. They
said to each other, “Think of good deeds which you did for Allah’s sake only, and invoke Allah by
giving reference to those deeds so that He may remove this rock from you.”
One of them said, ‘O Allah! I had old parents and small children and I used to graze the sheep for
them. On my return to them in the evening, I used to milk (the sheep) and start providing my parents
first of all before my children. One day I was delayed and came late at night and found my parents
sleeping. I milked (the sheep) as usual and stood by their heads. I hated to wake them up and disliked
to give milk to my children before them, although my children were weeping (because of hunger) at
my feet till the day dawned. O Allah! If I did this for Your sake only, kindly remove the rock so that
we could see the sky through it.’ So, Allah removed the rock a little and they saw the sky.
The second man said, ‘O Allah! I was in love with a cousin of mine like the deepest love a man may
have for a woman. I wanted to outrage her chastity but she refused unless I gave her one hundred
Dinars. So, I struggled to collect that amount. And when I sat between her legs, she said, ‘O Allah’s
slave! Be afraid of Allah and do not deflower me except rightfully (by marriage).’ So, I got up. O
Allah! If I did it for Your sake only, please remove the rock.’ The rock shifted a little more.
Then the third man said, ‘O Allah! I employed a laborer for a Faraq of rice and when he finished his
job and demanded his right, I presented it to him, but he refused to take it. So, I sowed the rice many
time till I gathered cows and their shepherd (from the yield). (Then after some time) He came and said
to me, ‘Fear Allah (and give me my right).” I said, ‘Go and take those cows and the shepherd.’ He said,
‘Be afraid of Allah! Don’t mock at me.’ I said, ‘I am not mocking at you. Take (all that).’ So, he took all
that. O Allah! If I did that for Your sake only, please remove the rest of the rock.’ So, Allah removed
the rock.”

`Umar said, “But for the future Muslim generations, I would have distributed the land of the villages I
conquer among the soldiers as the Prophet (ﷺ) distributed the land of Khaibar.”

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “He who cultivates land that does not belong to anybody is more rightful (to own
it).” `Urwa said, “`Umar gave the same verdict in his Caliphate.”