so that they would generously grant its use free of charge. He did not directly command them to do so, just as he had forbidden them to store meat. For someone who is forbidden to benefit from his property will readily offer it to others, since he will not leave it idle. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him—and indeed rulers as well—may prohibit certain otherwise permissible acts in particular circumstances for the benefit of those subject to the prohibition, as he forbade them during certain military expeditions … (1)

As for Jābir’s report that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade mukhābara (sharecropping), it was this particular form of sharecropping that he forbade. The definite article refers to that known practice, and they knew no other form of mukhābara. This is clarified by the report in the Sahīh from Ibn ‘Umar, who said:

“We saw nothing wrong with sharecropping until last year, when Rāfi‘ stated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had forbidden it, so we abandoned it because of his report.”

Thus Ibn ‘Umar related that Rāfi‘ had reported the prohibition of sharecropping. The meaning of Rāfi‘’s hadith has already been explained.

Abū ‘Ubayd said: “Al-khibr—with an i vowel after the kh—means mukhābara. Mukhābara is sharecropping in return for one-half, one-third, one-quarter, or a smaller or larger share.” Abū ‘Ubayd used to say: “This is why a cultivator is called a khabīr: he enters into a mukhābara agreement over the land. Mukhābara is mu’ākara (contracting for cultivation).”

Some have said that this term derives from Khaybar, because the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, left its land in their possession in return for half the produce. Hence the expression khābarahum, meaning that he entered into an agreement with them at Khaybar. This explanation has no substance, for he never prohibited the arrangement he made at Khaybar.