Book of Musaqat (Sharecropping/Irrigation Partnership)
Musaqat is when a man hands over his trees to another person to attend to their irrigation and all other work required, in exchange for a known portion of their fruit for him. It is only called Musaqat because it is a mutual action derived from irrigation (saqy), as the people of the Hijaz had the greatest need for their trees to be irrigated, because they watered them from wells, and thus it was named accordingly. The basis for its permissibility is the Sunnah and consensus (ijma'). As for the Sunnah, it is what Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated, saying: 'The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entered into an agreement with the people of Khaybar for half of what comes out of it, whether fruit or crops.' This is a sound (sahih) hadith, agreed upon. As for the consensus, Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him and his forefathers) said: 'The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entered into an agreement with the people of Khaybar for half (the produce), then Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, and then their families until today, would give a third or a fourth.' This was acted upon by the Rightly Guided Caliphs during their caliphates, and it became well-known, and no one denied it, so it became a consensus. If it is said: 'We do not concede that no one denied it,' for...
(1) Omitted from [B]. (2) In the original: "yasqun" (they irrigate). (3) In [B]: "wujubiha" (its obligation), which is incorrect. (4) Recorded by al-Bukhari, in: The Chapter of Sharecropping for Half and the Like, and The Chapter: If One Does Not Specify the Years in Sharecropping, from the Book of Cultivation and Sharecropping. Sahih al-Bukhari 3/137, 138. And by Muslim, in: The Chapter of Musaqat and Contracting for a Part of the Fruit and Crops, from the Book of Musaqat. Sahih Muslim 3/1186. It was also recorded by Abu Dawud, in: The Chapter of Musaqat, from the Book of Sales. Sunan Abi Dawud 2/235. Al-Tirmidhi, in: The Chapter of What Was Mentioned Regarding Sharecropping, from the Chapters of Rulings. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 6/153. Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter of Contracting for Palms and Vines, from the Book of Pledges. Sunan Ibn Majah 2/824. Al-Darimi, in: The Chapter that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entered into an agreement with Khaybar, from the Book of Sales. Sunan al-Darimi 2/270. And Imam Ahmad, in Al-Musnad 2/17, 22, 37, 157. (5) Recorded by al-Bukhari, in: The Chapter of Sharecropping for Half and the Like, from the Book of Cultivation and Sharecropping. Sahih al-Bukhari 3/137.
كتابُ المُساقاةِ
المُسَاقاةُ: أن يَدْفَعَ الرَّجُلُ شَجَرَهُ إلى آخَرَ، لِيَقُومَ بِسَقْيِه، وعَمَلِ سائِر ما يَحْتَاجُ إليه، بِجُزْءٍ مَعْلُومٍ له (١) من ثَمَرِهِ. وإنَّما سُمِّيَتْ مُسَاقاةً لأنَّها مُفَاعَلَةٌ من السَّقْىِ؛ لأنَّ أهْلَ الحِجَازِ أكْثَرُ حاجَةِ شَجَرِهِم إلى السَّقْىِ، لأنَّهم يَسْتَقُونَ (٢) من الآبارِ، فسُمِّيَتْ بذلك. والأصْلُ في جَوَازِها (٣) السُّنَّةُ والإِجْماعُ؛ أما السُّنَّةُ، فما رَوَى عبدُ اللَّه بن عمَرَ. رَضِىَ اللَّه عنه، قال: عَامَلَ رسولُ اللهِ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- أهْلَ خَيْبَرَ بِشَطْرِ ما يَخْرُجُ مِنْها، من ثَمَرٍ أو زَرْعٍ. حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ، مُتَّفَقٌ عليه (٤). وأَمَّا الإِجْماعُ، فقال أبو جعفرٍ محمدُ بن عليِّ بن الحُسَيْنِ بن عَلِىٍّ بن أبي طَالِبٍ، رَضِىَ اللَّه عنه، وعن آبائِه: عامَلَ رسولُ اللهِ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- أهْلَ خَيْبَرَ بالشَّطْرِ (٥)، ثم أبو بكرٍ وعمرُ وعُثْمانُ وعَلِيٌّ، ثم أَهْلُوهُم إلى اليَوْمِ يُعْطُون الثُّلُثَ والرُّبْعَ. وهذا عَمِلَ به الخُلَفاءُ الرَّاشِدُونَ في مُدَّةِ خِلَافَتِهِم، واشْتَهَر ذلك، فلم يُنْكِرْهُ مُنكِرٌ، فكان إجْماعًا. فإن قِيلَ: لا نُسَلِّمُ أنَّه لم يُنْكِرْهُ مُنْكِرٌ، فإنَّ
(١) سقط من: ب.(٢) في الأصل: "يسقون".(٣) في ب: "وجوبها" خطأ.(٤) أخرجه البخاري، في: باب المزارعة بالشطر ونحوه، وباب إذا لم يشترط السنين في المزارعة، من كتاب: الحرث والمزارعة. صحيح البخاري ٣/ ١٣٧، ١٣٨. ومسلم، في: باب المساقاة والمعاملة بجزء من الثمر والزرع، من كتاب المساقاة. صحيح مسلم ٣/ ١١٨٦.كما أخرجه أبو داود، في: باب في المساقاة، من كتاب البيوع. سنن أبي داود ٢/ ٢٣٥. والترمذي، في: باب ما ذكر في المزارعة، من أبواب الأحكام. عارضة الأحوذى ٦/ ١٥٣. وابن ماجه، في: باب معاملة النخيل والكرم، من كتاب الرهون. سنن ابن ماجه ٢/ ٨٢٤. والدارمى، في: باب أن النبي -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- عامل خيبر، من كتاب البيوع. سنن الدارمي ٢/ ٢٧٠. والإِمام أحمد، في المسند ٢/ ١٧، ٢٢، ٣٧، ١٥٧.(٥) أخرجه البخاري، في: باب المزارعة بالشطر ونحوه، من كتاب: الحرث والمزارعة. صحيح البخاري ٣/ ١٣٧.
