Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (30/138)

He was asked:

May the holder of a land grant take a specified portion of the crop? If he agrees to share the crop on the basis of an undivided proportion, and it is known that they have favoured him, may he take more than that, or not?

He answered:

Praise be to Allah. Sharecropping in return for a proportional share of the yield is permissible, whether that share is less or more than half.

The four imams and others like them make no distinction between sharecropping for half, a third, two-thirds, or similar proportional shares, such as three-fifths or two-fifths. The permissibility of sharecropping is established by the authentic Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with the agreement of the Companions. It is more equitable than tasjīl (registration). If he stipulates that he is to receive half the crop, but they take more than half, he may recover from them an amount equal to the excess.

وَسُئِلَ: عَنْ صَاحِبِ إقْطَاعٍ. هَلْ لَهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ مِنْ الزَّرْعِ جُزْءًا مُعَيَّنًا؟ . وَهَلْ لَهُ إذَا شَاطَرَهُ بِجُزْءِ مُشَاعٍ وَعُلِمَ أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ حَابَوْهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ زَائِدًا عَلَى ذَلِكَ؟ أَمْ لَا؟ . فَأَجَابَ: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، تَجُوزُ الْمُزَارَعَةُ بِجُزْءِ شَائِعٍ سَوَاءٌ كَانَ أَقَلَّ مِنْ النِّصْفِ أَوْ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ النِّصْفِ. وَلَا فَرْقَ عِنْدَ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْأَرْبَعَةِ وَنَحْوِهِمْ: أَنْ يُزَارِعَ بِالنِّصْفِ أَوْ الثُّلُثِ أَوْ الثُّلُثَيْنِ وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ مِنْ الْأَجْزَاءِ الشَّائِعَةِ كَثَلَاثَةِ أَخْمَاسٍ وَخُمُسَيْنِ. وَقَدْ ثَبَتَ جَوَازُ الْمُزَارَعَةِ بِسُنَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الصَّحِيحَةِ بِاتِّفَاقِ الصَّحَابَةِ وَهِيَ أَعْدَلُ مِنْ التَّسْجِيلِ وَإِذَا شَرَطَ عَلَيْهِ نِصْفَ الزَّرْعِ فَأَخَذُوا زَائِدًا عَلَى ذَلِكَ فَلَهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ مِنْهُمْ بِقَدْرِ الزَّائِدِ.