Chapter on Reviving Barren Lands and Properties
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 3|Book 2|Chapter 13
وَ رَوَى اَلْحَسَنُ بْنُ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: سُئِلَ وَ أَنَا حَاضِرٌ عَنْ رَجُلٍ أَحْيَا أَرْضاً مَوَاتاً فَكَرَى فِيهَا نَهَراً وَ بَنَى بُيُوتاً وَ غَرَسَ نَخْلاً وَ شَجَراً فَقَالَ "هِيَ لَهُ وَ لَهُ أَجْرُ بُيُوتِهَا وَ عَلَيْهِ فِيهَا اَلْعُشْرُ فِيمَا سَقَتِ اَلسَّمَاءُ أَوْ سَيْلُ وَادٍ أَوْ عَيْنٌ وَ عَلَيْهِ فِيمَا سَقَتِ اَلدَّوَالِي وَ اَلْغَرْبُ نِصْفُ اَلْعُشْرِ".
Al-Hasan bin Mahbub narrated from Abdullah bin Sinan, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, who said: Imam عليه السلام was asked, while I was present, about a man who revived dead land, dug a canal in it, built houses, and planted palm trees and other trees. Imam عليه السلام said: "It belongs to him, and he is entitled to the rent of its houses. However, he must pay a tenth (ʿushr) of what is watered by rain, a valley stream, or a spring. As for what is watered by buckets or water-lifting devices, he must pay half of a tenth (nisfu al-ʿushr)."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh, p. 234