This explanation of sharecropping appears to be from Zayd ibn Thabit. It is therefore the view that should be relied upon among those mentioned by Ibn al-Athir in al-Nihayah, for it is the explanation of a Companion who also transmitted the hadith; thus, he knew his own narration better than anyone else.

The reason for the Prophet’s—peace and blessings be upon him—prohibition of sharecropping is clarified through another chain, narrated by Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, who said that Zayd ibn Thabit said:

“May Allah forgive Rafi ibn Khadij! By Allah, I know the hadith better than he does. Two men who had quarrelled came to the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—and he said: ‘If this is how matters are among you, then do not lease out farmland.’ Rafi heard him say only: ‘Do not lease out farmland.’”

Ahmad recorded it (5/182 and 187), and its chain is good.

I say: This narration provides us with an important point: the prohibition of sharecropping is not due to its inherent nature, but rather because of the disputes that may arise between the landowner and the tenant. Such disputes result only from unlawful conditions stipulated by one of the two parties. This is what the combined narrations of the hadith of Rafi ibn Khadij indicate, as I established in al-Irwa al-Ghalil (5/297–302). Among the clearest of them is the narration recorded by Muslim and others through Hanzalah ibn Qays, who said:

“I asked Rafi ibn Khadij about leasing land for gold and silver. He replied: ‘There is no harm in it. During the time of the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—people would lease land in exchange for the produce growing along watercourses, at the heads of irrigation channels, or for particular portions of the crop. One portion would perish while another would thrive, or one would thrive while another would perish. This was the only form of leasing people practiced, and for that reason it was prohibited. As for something guaranteed, there is no harm in it.’” *