One of them is that it is a great river, such as the Nile, the Euphrates, the Tigris, and similar great rivers from which no one is harmed by [others] drawing water from them. Thus, there is no overcrowding in this, and every person may draw from it whatever they wish, whenever they wish, and however they wish. The second type is that it is a small river in which people overcrowd (62) and are stingy regarding its water, or a torrent (63) over which the owners of the land (64) drinking from it are stingy. In this case, one begins with whoever is at the beginning of the river; he irrigates and retains the water until it reaches the ankles, then he releases it to the one next to him, who does the same, and so on until all the lands are finished. If nothing remains after the first, or the second, or those following them, then there is nothing (65) for the remaining [users], because they (66) have no right except to what remains; they are like the asaba (residuary heirs) in inheritance. This is the view of the jurists of Medina, Malik, and al-Shafi‘i, and we do not know of any dissenter regarding it. The foundation for this is what ‘Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr narrated: that a man from the Ansar disputed with al-Zubayr over the irrigation channels (shiraj) of al-Harra, which they used for irrigation, before the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: 'Irrigate, O Zubayr, then release the water to your neighbor.' The Ansari became angry and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, [is it] because he is the son of your paternal aunt?' The face of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) changed color, then he said: 'Irrigate, O Zubayr, then retain the water until it returns to the wall.' Al-Zubayr said: 'By Allah, I believe this verse was revealed regarding this: {But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves} (67).' [It is] unanimously agreed upon (68). And Malik narrated it in...
(62) Omitted from the original. (63) In the manuscripts: 'sayl'. (64) In the original: 'al-aradeen'. (65) In the original: 'haqq'. (66) In [copies] B and M: 'li-annahu'. (67) Surah al-Nisa', 65. (68) Recorded by al-Bukhari, in: The Chapter on damming rivers, the Chapter on the upper [land] drinking before the lower, and the Chapter on the upper drinking up to the ankles, from the Book of Watering (al-Musaqat); and in: The Chapter on when the leader signals for reconciliation..., from the Book of Reconciliation; and in: The Chapter on {But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you judge...}, from the Book of Interpretation. Sahih al-Bukhari 3/145, 146, 245, 6/57, 58. And Muslim, in: The Chapter on the obligation of following him (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), from the Book of Virtues. Sahih Muslim 4/1829, 1830.
أحدُهما، أن يكون نَهْرًا عَظِيمًا، كالنِّيلِ والفُرَاتِ ودِجْلَة، وما أشْبَهَها من الأنْهارِ العَظِيمةِ، التي لا يَسْتَضِرُّ أحدٌ بِسَقْيِه منها، فهذا لا تَزَاحُمَ فيه، ولكل أحدٍ أن يَسْقِىَ منها ما شاءَ، متى شاءَ، وكيف شاءَ. القسم الثاني، أن يكون نَهْرًا صَغِيرا يَزْدَحِمُ الناسُ فيه (٦٢)، ويَتَشَاحُّونَ في مائِه، أو سَيْلًا (٦٣) يَتَشَاحُّ فيه أهْلُ الأرْضِ (٦٤) الشارِبَةِ منه، فإنَّه يُبْدَأُ بمَنْ في أَوَّلِ النَّهْرِ، فيَسْقِى ويَحْبِسُ الماءَ حتى يَبْلُغَ إلى الكَعْبِ، ثم يُرْسِلُ إلى الذي يَلِيه فيَصْنَعُ كذلك، وعلى هذا إلى أن تَنْتَهِىَ الأرَاضِى كلُّها. فإن لم يَفْضُلْ عن الأوّلِ شيءٌ، أو عن الثاني، أو عَمَّنْ يَلِيهم فلا شىءَ (٦٥) لِلْباقِينَ؛ لأنَّهم (٦٦) ليس لهم إلَّا ما فَضَلَ، فهم كالعَصَبَةِ في المِيرَاثِ. وهذا قولُ فُقَهاءِ المَدِينةِ، ومالِكٍ، والشافِعِىِّ، ولا تعْلَمُ فيه مُخَالِفًا. والأصْلُ في هذا ما رَوَى عبدُ اللَّه بن الزُّبَيْرِ، أنَّ رَجُلًا من الأنْصارِ خاصَمَ الزُّبَيْرَ في شِرَاجِ الحَرَّةِ، التي يَسْقُونَ بها، إلى النبيِّ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم-، فقال -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم-: "اسْقِ يا زُبَيْرُ، ثُمَّ أرْسِلِ الْماءَ إلَى جارِكَ". فغَضِبَ الأَنْصَارِىُّ، وقال: يا رسولَ اللَّه، آنْ كان ابنَ عَمَّتِكَ؟ فتَلَوَّن وَجْهُ رسولِ اللَّه -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم-، ثم قال: "يا زُبَيْر اسْقِ، ثُمَّ احْبِسِ الْماءَ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ إلَى الجَدْرِ". قال الزُّبَيْرُ: فوالله إنِّي لأَحْسَبُ هذه الآيةَ نَزَلَتْ فيه: {فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ} (٦٧). مُتَّفَقٌ عليه (٦٨). ورَوَاهُ مالِكٌ، في
(٦٢) سقط من: الأصل.(٦٣) في النسخ: "سيل".(٦٤) في الأصل: "الأرضين".(٦٥) في الأصل: "حق".(٦٦) في ب، م: "لأنه".(٦٧) سورة النساء ٦٥.(٦٨) أخرجه البخاري، في: باب سكر الأنهار، وباب شرب الأعلى قبل الأسفل، وباب شرب الأعلى إلى الكعبين، من كتاب المساقاة، وفى: باب إذا أشار الإِمام بالصلح. . ., من كتاب الصلح، وفى: باب {فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ. . .}، من كتاب التفسير. صحيح البخاري ٣/ ١٤٥، ١٤٦، ٢٤٥، ٦/ ٥٧، ٥٨. ومسلم، في: باب وجوب اتباعه -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم-، من كتاب الفضائل. صحيح مسلم ٤/ ١٨٢٩، ١٨٣٠. =
