After examining the merits and drawbacks of land sharecropping and leasing arrangements, and considering the various possible models for agrarian relations, the logical framework can be simplified as follows:
First
option: Cultivate the land oneself.
The
preferred approach is for the owner to cultivate the land personally. However,
the land must not be left idle or fallow if the owner is unable to work it. If
the owner cannot cultivate the land—whether due to a lack of time (holding
another profession) or a lack of funds—they may enter into a partnership with
another farmer. There is a Hadith of the Prophet stating that granting the use
of land to someone is better than demanding a specific tax or rent.
Second
option: "Lending" the land to another person without charging any
fee.
There
are numerous Hadiths supporting this practice. If the owner assists by
providing tools, seeds, or draft animals for cultivation—while taking no share
of the produce and seeking only a reward from Allah SWT—it constitutes an
excellent form of sadaqah jariyah (ongoing charity). Abu Hurairah narrated that
the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever possesses land should cultivate it or
give it to a friend." In another narration, the Prophet stated:
"Whoever possesses land should cultivate it themselves or ask their
brother to cultivate it; otherwise, they should leave it [unoccupied]."
Thus, simply lending the land without demanding compensation is highly
encouraged.
Third
option: Muzara’ah (profit-sharing/crop-sharing), often referred to as
musaqat or mukhabarah.
The
landowner provides tools, seeds, and animals to the person who will cultivate
the land, under an agreement that the owner will receive a predetermined share
of the harvest—such as one-half, one-third, or another agreed-upon ratio.
Hadiths narrated by Imam Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Umar, Ibn Abbas, and Jabir bin
Abdullah explain that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) leased land to the people
of Khaibar under an agreement where half the produce went to the landowner.
This muzara’ah (sharecropping) arrangement was practiced by the
Messenger and the Caliphs who succeeded him, and was even continued by the
Prophet’s wives after his passing.
In
reality, there is a fourth option—a form of muzara’ah where the farmer is
essentially "hands-off" (providing little to no labor). Based on the
literature I have encountered, there is no scriptural evidence (dalil) for this
specific variation. Yet, this practice is widely applied in Indonesia, where
the landowner typically receives one-third of the gross harvest.
The
legal basis for muzara’ah is very strong; not only does it align perfectly with
Islamic logic, but it was also a common practice during the time of the
Messenger. Unlike certain forms of land leasing that are prohibited under
specific conditions, the Messenger explicitly permitted muzara’ah.
Fundamentally,
muzara’ah represents a mutually beneficial partnership. It addresses situations
where skilled farmers lack land while landowners are unable to cultivate their
own holdings; muzara’ah serves as a middle-ground solution for both parties.
This practice was implemented during the Messenger’s era in Medina—involving
many Muhajirin (emigrants)—and was continued by the Rightly Guided Caliphs,
persisting into the era of Umar bin Abdul Aziz, who derived income from such
profit-sharing arrangements.
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