Chapter on Sharecropping and Leasing
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 3|Book 2|Chapter 14
وَ سُئِلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ اِسْتَأْجَرَ أَرْضاً مِنْ أَرْضِ اَلْخَرَاجِ بِدَرَاهِمَ مُسَمَّاةٍ أَوْ بِطَعَامٍ مُسَمًّى فَيُؤَاجِرُهَا جَرِيباً جَرِيباً أَوْ قِطْعَةً قِطْعَةً بِشَيْءٍ مَعْلُومٍ فَيَكُونُ لَهُ فَضْلٌ فِيمَا اِسْتَأْجَرَ مِنَ اَلسُّلْطَانِ وَ لاَ يُنْفِقُ شَيْئاً أَوْ يُؤَاجِرُ تِلْكَ اَلْأَرْضَ قِطَعاً عَلَى أَنْ يُعْطِيَهُمُ اَلْبُذُورَ وَ اَلنَّفَقَةَ فَيَكُونَ لَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ فَضْلٌ عَلَى إِجَارَتِهِ وَ لَهُ مَرَمَّةُ اَلْأَرْضِ أَ لَهُ ذَلِكَ أَوْ لَيْسَ لَهُ فَقَالَ "إِذَا اِسْتَأْجَرْتَ أَرْضاً فَأَنْفَقْتَ فِيهَا شَيْئاً أَوْ رَمَمْتَ فِيهَا فَلاَ بَأْسَ بِمَا ذَكَرْتَ".
Abu Abdillah عليه السلام was asked about a man who rented land from the kharaj lands for a specified amount of dirhams or a specified quantity of food. He then subleased it, piece by piece or plot by plot, for a known price, and gained a profit over what he rented it for from the authorities without spending anything on it. Or, he subleased parts of the land while providing seeds and expenses to the tenants, resulting in a profit beyond his rental cost, and he maintained the land. Imam عليه السلام said: "If you rent land and spend on it or maintain it, then there is no harm in what you have described."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh