Contracting Taxpayers’ Land and the Tax on their Person; Contracting Land from Al- Sultan and then Contracting it to Others

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنْ رَجُلٍ كَانَتْ لَهُ قَرْيَةٌ عَظِيمَةٌ وَ لَهُ فِيهَا عُلُوجٌ ذِمِّيُّونَ يَأْخُذُ مِنْهُمُ السُّلْطَانُ الْجِزْيَةَ فَيُعْطِيهِمْ يُؤْخَذُ مِنْ أَحَدِهِمْ خَمْسُونَ وَ مِنْ بَعْضِهِمْ ثَلَاثُونَ وَ أَقَلُّ وَ أَكْثَرُ فَيُصَالِحُ عَنْهُمْ صَاحِبُ الْقَرْيَةِ السُّلْطَانَ ثُمَّ يَأْخُذُ هُوَ مِنْهُمْ أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا يُعْطِي السُّلْطَانَ قَالَ هَذَا حَرَامٌ.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who had a large town in which he had taxpayer infidels from whom al-Sultan collected taxes and they paid to him fifty or thirty or more or less, each one. The owner of the town reached a settlement for them with al-Sultan and he coll

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ مَا تَقُولُ فِي أَرْضٍ أَتَقَبَّلُهَا مِنَ السُّلْطَانِ ثُمَّ أُؤَاجِرُهَا أَكَرَتِي‌[1] عَلَى أَنَّ مَا أَخْرَجَ اللَّهُ مِنْهَا مِنْ شَيْ‌ءٍ كَانَ لِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ النِّصْفُ وَ الثُّلُثُ بَعْدَ حَقِّ السُّلْطَانِ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ كَذَلِكَ أُعَامِلُ أَكَرَتِي.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, what do you say about a land that I rent from al-Sultan, then rent it to my tenants for, whatever Allah makes to grow, one-half or one-third after excluding the share of al-Sultan. He (the I

لَا بَأْسَ بِقَبَالَةِ الْأَرْضِ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً وَ أَقَلَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَ أَكْثَرَ فَيَعْمُرُهَا وَ يُؤَدِّي مَا خَرَجَ عَلَيْهَا وَ لَا يُدْخِلِ الْعُلُوجَ فِي شَيْ‌ءٍ مِنَ الْقَبَالَةِ لِأَنَّهُ لَا يَحِلُّ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not unlawful to reach an agreement with the owners of the land for twenty years or less or more, then revive it and pay what he spends on it; but one must not include al-‘ilj (the infidels) in the agreement because it is not lawful.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَتَقَبَّلُ الْأَرْضَ بِطِيبَةِ نَفْسِ أَهْلِهَا عَلَى شَرْطٍ يُشَارِطُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَ إِنْ هُوَ رَمَّ فِيهَا مَرَمَّةً أَوْ جَدَّدَ فِيهَا بِنَاءً فَإِنَّ لَهُ أَجْرَ بُيُوتِهَا إِلَّا الَّذِي كَانَ فِي أَيْدِي دَهَاقِينِهَا أَوَّلًا قَالَ إِذَا كَانَ قَدْ دَخَلَ فِي قَبَالَةِ الْأَرْضِ عَلَى أَمْرٍ مَعْلُومٍ فَلَا يَعْرِضُ لِمَا فِي أَيْدِي دَهَاقِينِهَا إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ قَدِ اشْتَرَطَ

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the case of a man who formed a contract for a land without compulsion on the owners, with the condition with them that if he did certain repairs or built a building, that he would have the rent of such homes except what was in the hands of the farmers from before. He (the Imam

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنْ قَرْيَةٍ لِأُنَاسٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ لَا أَدْرِي أَصْلُهَا لَهُمْ أَمْ لَا غَيْرَ أَنَّهَا فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ وَ عَلَيْهِمْ خَرَاجٌ فَاعْتَدَى عَلَيْهِمُ السُّلْطَانُ فَطَلَبُوا إِلَيَّ فَأَعْطَوْنِي أَرْضَهُمْ وَ قَرْيَتَهُمْ عَلَى أَنْ أَكْفِيَهُمُ السُّلْطَانَ بِمَا قَلَّ أَوْ كَثُرَ فَفَضَلَ لِي بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَضْلٌ بَعْدَ مَا قَبَضَ السُّلْطَانُ مَا قَبَضَ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a town that belonged to non-Muslim taxpayers and I did not know if they were the original owners or not, except that it was in their hands and they paid Kharaj (taxes). Al-Sultan infringed on them and they asked me to take over their town and land to s