The justification for both groups, despite this analogy, lies in the reports that reached them of the Prophet’s prohibition of crop sharecropping and leasing land, such as the hadiths of Rāfi‘ ibn Khadīj and Jābir. Nāfi‘ reported:

“Ibn ‘Umar used to lease his farmland during the Prophet’s lifetime (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), during the rule of Abū Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Uthmān, and during the early part of Mu‘āwiya’s rule. Then he was told, on the authority of Rāfi‘ ibn Khadīj, that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had forbidden leasing farmland. Ibn ‘Umar went to Rāfi‘, and I accompanied him. He questioned him, and Rāfi‘ replied, ‘The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) forbade leasing farmland.’ Ibn ‘Umar said, ‘I know that we used to lease our farmland in return for what grew along the irrigation channels and some straw.’”

Both al-Bukhārī and Muslim included this in their Sahīh collections; this is al-Bukhārī’s wording. Muslim’s wording is:

“Until, towards the end of Mu‘āwiya’s caliphate, he learned that Rāfi‘ ibn Khadīj was reporting a prohibition concerning it from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). He visited him, and I accompanied him, and questioned him. Rāfi‘ said, ‘The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to forbid leasing farmland.’ Ibn ‘Umar thereafter gave up leasing it. Whenever he was subsequently asked about it, he would say, ‘Rāfi‘ ibn Khadīj reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) forbade it.’”

Sālim ibn ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Umar reported:

“‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Umar used to lease his land until he learned that Rāfi‘ ibn Khadīj al-Ansārī was forbidding the leasing of land. ‘Abd Allāh met him and said, ‘Ibn Khadīj, what do you report from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) concerning the leasing of land?’ Rāfi‘ ibn Khadīj said to ‘Abd Allāh, ‘I heard my two paternal uncles