It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever has unused land should cultivate it. If he does not do so himself, then he should give it to someone else (as a concession, without rent) so that he may cultivate it.

Sayyiduna Rafi’ bin Khadij (may Allah be pleased with him) says: We used to practice Muhaqalah during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). We would rent out land for a third, a quarter of the produce, or for a specified amount of grain. One day, one of my uncles came to us and said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has forbidden us from this practice in which we had benefit, but in pleasing Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) there is greater benefit for us. We have been prohibited from Muhaqalah, that is, from renting out land for a third or a quarter of the produce or for a specified amount. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded that the owner of the land should cultivate it himself or give it to someone else for cultivation, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) considered it disliked to give it on rent or in any other such manner.

Sayyiduna Hanzalah bin Qais Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I asked Sayyiduna Rafi’ bin Khadij (may Allah be pleased with him) about renting land in exchange for gold and silver, so he said that there is no objection in it. People in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to rent land on the banks of canals and at the ends of water channels for a share of the produce, so sometimes one thing would perish and the other would remain, and sometimes this would perish and that would remain, so people would get no rent except what remained. Therefore, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade this. But if, in exchange for rent, there is a specified thing (such as money, gold coins, grain, etc.) for which responsibility can be taken, then there is no objection in it.

Abdullah bin Saib says: We went to Abdullah bin Ma’qil (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him about sharecropping (batai). He said that Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade sharecropping and ordered hiring for wages (i.e., renting for money or gold coins), and said that there is nothing objectionable in it.

It is narrated from Tawoos that they used to practice mukhabarah, so Amr (said to Tawoos), "I said to him, O Abu Abdur Rahman! It would be better if you left mukhabarah, because people say that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) forbade mukhabarah (leasing land on a sharecropping basis)." So Tawoos said, "O Amr! The person who was most knowledgeable among the companions narrated to me, that is, Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not forbid mukhabarah, rather he said: If any of you gives his brother land for free, it is better than taking a fixed rent or wage for it."

Narrated Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entrusted Khaybar to (the people of) Khaybar on the condition that whatever fruit or grain was produced, half would be ours and half yours. So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to give his noble wives (may Allah be pleased with them) one hundred wasqs every year, (of which) eighty (80) wasqs were dates and twenty (20) wasqs were barley. When Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) became the Caliph and distributed the wealth of Khaybar, he gave the noble wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) the choice: either take a share of the land and water, or continue to take your wasqs. So they differed; some took the land and water, and some chose to continue taking the wasqs. Umm al-Mu’minin Aisha and Hafsa (may Allah be pleased with them both) were among those who took the land and water.

Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever among the Muslims plants a tree, and then someone eats from it, the one who planted it will receive the reward of charity. And if any of it is stolen, he will receive the reward of charity for that as well. And if wild animals eat from it, he will receive the reward of charity for that as well. And if birds eat from it, he will receive the reward of charity for that as well. And no one will diminish from that fruit except that the planter will continue to receive the reward of charity.

'Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that' the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade selling water in excess of one's need.

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Extra water should not be withheld so that, because of it, grass may also be withheld.