Reviving Barren Land

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Muhammad ibn Humran from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “I once heard abu Ja’far (a.s.), saying, ‘Whoever of people revive a land and build it, they are more deserving to have it and it is for them. 5 ”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad all from ibn Mahbub from Mu‘awiyah ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘Whoever comes upon a ruined barren place, then finds out and digs its canals and builds it, he owes charity. If the land belonged to a man before him who has disappeared, abandoned it and ruined it, then came thereafter, he has to take notice that the land belongs to Allah and to those who build it.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad from Hariz from Zurarah who has said the following: “ Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘One who revives a barren (dead) land, it becomes his land.”’

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

4. Hammad has narrated from Hariz from Zurarah and Muhammad ibn Muslim and abu Basir and Fudayl and Bukayr and Humran and ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn abu ‘Abd Allah who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far, and abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, have said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Whoever revives a barren (dead) land, it becomes his land.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from Hisham ibn Salim from abu Khalid al- Kabuliy who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘We have found in the book of Ali (a.s.), that the land belongs to Allah which He makes whomever of His servant He wants to inherit; and the end result is in favor of the pious people. We and the people of the House have inherited the earth and we are the pious ones. All of the earth belongs to us. Whoever of the Muslims revives and builds it and pays taxes to the Imam from the people of the House, he can eat thereof. If he abandons and ruins it and then another person of the Muslims takes it after him, builds it and revives it, he then is more rightful than the one who has abandoned it. So he pays taxes to the Imam from the House and he can eat thereof until the reappearance of al-Qa’im from the people of my house with the sword to control and protect it. He sends them in exile just as the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, protected it, except for what is in the hands of our followers who will then contract with him for what is in their hands and he (a.s.), will leave it in their hands.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

6. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from af-Nawfaliy from af-Sakuniy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Whoever plants a tree or digs a valley as the first one before anyone else and revives a land which is barren (dead), it becomes his land from Allah and the Messenger of Allah, ‘O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.