He then went to him along with me. He (Rafi) narrated from some of his uncles in which it was mentioned that Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) forbade the renting of land. Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with them) then abandoned this practice of renting.
وَحَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ شُعَيْبِ بْنِ اللَّيْثِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ جَدِّي، حَدَّثَنِي عُقَيْلُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي سَالِمُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ، كَانَ يُكْرِي أَرَضِيهِ حَتَّى بَلَغَهُ أَنَّ رَافِعَ بْنَ خَدِيجٍ الأَنْصَارِيَّ كَانَ يَنْهَى عَنْ كِرَاءِ الأَرْضِ فَلَقِيَهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ يَا ابْنَ خَدِيجٍ مَاذَا تُحَدِّثُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي كِرَاءِ الأَرْضِ قَالَ رَافِعُ بْنُ خَدِيجٍ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ سَمِعْتُ عَمَّىَّ - وَكَانَا قَدْ شَهِدَا بَدْرًا - يُحَدِّثَانِ أَهْلَ الدَّارِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَهَى عَنْ كِرَاءِ الأَرْضِ . قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ لَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ فِي عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّ الأَرْضَ تُكْرَى ثُمَّ خَشِيَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ أَنْ يَكُونَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَحْدَثَ فِي ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلِمَهُ فَتَرَكَ كِرَاءَ الأَرْضِ .
Ibn Khadij, what is this that you narrate from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) pertaining to renting of land? Rafi b. Khadij said to Abdullah: I heard it from two uncles of mine and they had participated in the Battle of Badr who narrated to the members of the family that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade the renting of land. Abdullah said: I knew it that the land was rented during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). Abdullah then apprehended that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) might have said something new in this connection (in regard to prohibition of renting) which I failed to know. So he abandoned the renting of land.
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade the renting of land. I said: Is it forbidden (even if it is paid) in gold (dinar) and silver (dirham)? Thereupon he said: If it is paid in gold and silver, there is no harm in it.
I asked Rafi' b. Khadij about the renting of land for gold and silver, whereupon he said: There is no harm in it for the people let out land situated near canals and at the ends of the streamlets or portion of fields. (But it so happened) that at times this was destroyed and that was saved. whereas (on other occasions) this portion was saved and the other was destroyed and thus no rent was payable to the people (who let out lands) but for this one (which was saved). It was due to this that he (the Holy Prophet) prohibited it. But if there is something definite and reliable (e. g. money). there is no harm in it.
We were the major agriculturists of the Ansar and so we let out land (saying): The produce of this (part of land) would be ours and (the produce) of that would be theirs. But it so happened that at times this (land) gave harvest, but the other one produced nothing. So he (the Holy Prophet) forbade this. But so far as the payment in silver (dirham, a coin) is concerned, he did not forbid.
We used to give on rent land during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). We rented it on the share of one-third or one-fourth of the (produce) along with a definite quantity of corn. One day a person from among my uncles came to us and said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade us this act which was a source of benefit to us, but the obedience to Allah and to His Messenger (ﷺ) is more beneficial to us. He forbade us that we should rent land with one-third or one-fourth of (the produce) and the corn of a measure, and he commanded the owner of land that he should cultivate it or let it be cultivated by other (persons) but he showed disapproval of renting it or anything besides it.