for half of what Allah the Exalted provides or a third of it, it is permissible. I do not see a basis for this, as the validity of hiring (ijarah) is conditioned upon the knowledge of the compensation and the specification of the duration or the work, which are absent here. Furthermore, this is a contract that has no textual foundation, nor is it analogous to one that has, so it is like other invalid contracts, unless he intends by 'hiring' the transaction in the manner previously discussed. Imam Ahmad indicated that which supports likening such matters to muzara'ah (sharecropping), as he said: 'There is no harm in a garment being given [to be worked on] for a third or a fourth,' due to the hadith of Jabir that the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave Khaybar for half [the produce]. This indicates that he has inclined toward permissibility in this and similar matters due to its resemblance to musaqah (sharecropping of trees) and muzara'ah, not to mudarabah or ijarah. Abu Dawud narrated from Ahmad regarding one who gives his horse for half of the spoils: 'I hope there is no harm in it.' Ishaq ibn Ibrahim said: Abu Abd Allah said: 'If it is for a half or a fourth, it is permissible.' Al-Awza'i held this view as well. Ahmad ibn Sa'id narrated from Ahmad regarding one who gives his slave to another to earn [wages] with him, with a third or a fourth of that belonging to him, that it is permissible, and the justification for it is what we mentioned in the issue of the animal. If he gives his garment to a tailor to cut into shirts to sell, and he receives half of its profit in return for his work, it is permissible. Imam Ahmad stated this in the narration of Harb. If he gives yarn to a man to weave it into a garment for a third or a fourth of its price, it is permissible. He stated this. Malik, Abu Hanifa, and al-Shafi'i did not permit any of that, because it is unknown compensation for unknown work. We have already mentioned the justification for its permissibility. If he adds to that a known amount of dirhams, it is not permissible. Imam Ahmad stated this. There is another report from him permitting it, but the correct view is the first. Abu Bakr said: This is an earlier opinion, and whatever was narrated other than this, it is what is relied upon. Al-Athram said: I heard Abu Abd Allah say: 'There is no harm in a garment given for a third or a fourth.' He was asked about a man giving a garment for a third plus one or two dirhams? He said: 'I dislike it because this is something unknown. As for the third alone, when there is nothing else with it, we see it as permissible, due to the hadith of Jabir that the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave Khaybar for half.'