One’s Renting a House or Land and His Renting to another Tenant for Higher Price

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَتَقَبَّلُ الْأَرْضَ مِنَ الدَّهَاقِينِ‌[2] فَيُؤَاجِرُهَا بِأَكْثَرَ مِمَّا يَتَقَبَّلُهَا وَ يَقُومُ فِيهَا بِحَظِّ السُّلْطَانِ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ إِنَّ الْأَرْضَ لَيْسَتْ مِثْلَ الْأَجِيرِ وَ لَا مِثْلَ الْبَيْتِ إِنَّ فَضْلَ الْأَجِيرِ وَ الْبَيْتِ حَرَامٌ.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who contracted land from farmers, then rented it for more to others and undertook the share of al- Sultan. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful because land is not like wages or a house. The increase of wages and house rent is unl

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ اسْتَأْجَرَ مِنَ السُّلْطَانِ مِنْ أَرْضِ الْخَرَاجِ بِدَرَاهِمَ مُسَمَّاةٍ أَوْ بِطَعَامٍ مُسَمًّى ثُمَّ آجَرَهَا وَ شَرَطَ لِمَنْ يَزْرَعُهَا أَنْ يُقَاسِمَهُ النِّصْفَ أَوْ أَقَلَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَوْ أَكْثَرَ وَ لَهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَضْلٌ أَ يَصْلُحُ لَهُ ذَلِكَ قَالَ نَعَمْ إِذَا حَفَرَ نَهَراً أَوْ عَمِلَ لَهُمْ شَيْئاً يُعِينُهُمْ بِذَلِكَ فَلَهُ ذَلِكَ قَالَ وَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who leased from al-Sultan al-Kharaj (tax) land for a known amount of dirham or foodstuff of known amount, then rented to someone with the condition to cultivate it and to divide the produce in half and half or more or less and still s

لَا بَأْسَ إِنَّ هَذَا لَيْسَ كَالْحَانُوتِ وَ لَا الْأَجِيرِ إِنَّ فَضْلَ الْأَجِيرِ وَ الْحَانُوتِ حَرَامٌ.

“About the case of a man who leases a piece of land, then rents it to someone for more than what he has leased for, he (the Imam) (a.s.), said, ‘It is not unlawful because it is not like a shop or wages; increase of wages and rent of shop is not lawful.’”

لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلًا اسْتَأْجَرَ دَاراً بِعَشَرَةِ دَرَاهِمَ فَسَكَنَ ثُلُثَيْهَا وَ آجَرَ ثُلُثَهَا بِعَشَرَةِ دَرَاهِمَ لَمْ يَكُنْ بِهِ بَأْسٌ وَ لَا يُؤَاجِرْهَا بِأَكْثَرَ مِمَّا اسْتَأْجَرَهَا إِلَّا أَنْ يُحْدِثَ فِيهَا شَيْئاً.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If a man rents a house for ten dirham and lives in it, but uses only two-thirds and rents the other one-third for ten dirhams, it is not unlawful but he must not rent out for more than what has rented (which is ten dirham) unless he introduces something in it.’”

لَيْسَ بِهِ بَأْسٌ إِنَّ الْأَرْضَ لَيْسَتْ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْبَيْتِ وَ الْأَجِيرِ إِنَّ فَضْلَ الْبَيْتِ حَرَامٌ وَ فَضْلَ الْأَجِيرِ حَرَامٌ.

“Ibrahim ibn al-Muthanna’ once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), this, when I was listening, ‘A man leases land, then rents to someone else for more than what he pays.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful because land is not like a house or a worker on hire. Extra in the rent of a house is unlawful and extra in hiring i

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَتَقَبَّلُ الْأَرْضَ بِالثُّلُثِ أَوِ الرُّبُعِ فَأُقَبِّلُهَا بِالنِّصْفِ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ قُلْتُ فَأَتَقَبَّلُهَا بِأَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ فَأُقَبِّلُهَا بِأَلْفَيْنِ قَالَ لَا يَجُوزُ قُلْتُ كَيْفَ جَازَ الْأَوَّلُ وَ لَمْ يَجُزِ الثَّانِي قَالَ لِأَنَّ هَذَا مَضْمُونٌ وَ ذَلِكَ غَيْرُ مَضْمُونٍ‌[1].

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about leasing saying, ‘There is a piece of land and it leased for one-third or one-fourth, then to someone else for one-half.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if I lease for one thousand dirhams and then lease it to som

إِذَا تَقَبَّلْتَ أَرْضاً بِذَهَبٍ أَوْ فِضَّةٍ فَلَا تُقَبِّلْهَا بِأَكْثَرَ مِمَّا تَقَبَّلْتَهَا بِهِ وَ إِنْ تَقَبَّلْتَهَا بِالنِّصْفِ وَ الثُّلُثِ فَلَكَ أَنْ تُقَبِّلَهَا بِأَكْثَرَ مِمَّا تَقَبَّلْتَهَا بِهِ لِأَنَّ الذَّهَبَ وَ الْفِضَّةَ مَضْمُونَانِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If you lease a piece of land in exchange for gold or silver, then do not lease it to someone else for more than what you have leased; but if you lease it in exchange for one-half or one-third of the produce you can lease it to someone else for more, because gold and silver are guarant

لَا يَصْلُحُ ذَلِكَ إِلَّا أَنْ يُحْدِثَ فِيهَا شَيْئاً.

“About the case of a man who leases a house then rents to someone else for more than what he has rented for, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not valid unless he introduces something in it.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ إِنِّي لَأَكْرَهُ أَنْ أَسْتَأْجِرَ رَحًى وَحْدَهَا ثُمَّ أُؤَاجِرَهَا بِأَكْثَرَ مِمَّا اسْتَأْجَرْتُهَا بِهِ إِلَّا أَنْ يُحْدَثَ فِيهَا حَدَثٌ أَوْ تُغْرَمَ فِيهَا غَرَامَةٌ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘I dislike renting a grinding stone, then renting it out to someone else for more than what I has rented for, unless some improvement is made or loss has taken place.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ اشْتَرَى مَرْعًى يَرْعَى فِيهِ بِخَمْسِينَ دِرْهَماً أَوْ أَقَلَّ أَوْ أَكْثَرَ فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يُدْخِلَ مَعَهُ مَنْ يَرْعَى فِيهِ وَ يَأْخُذَ مِنْهُمُ الثَّمَنَ قَالَ فَلْيُدْخِلْ مَعَهُ مَنْ شَاءَ بِبَعْضِ مَا أَعْطَى وَ إِنْ أَدْخَلَ مَعَهُ بِتِسْعَةٍ وَ أَرْبَعِينَ وَ كَانَتْ غَنَمُهُ بِدِرْهَمٍ فَلَا بَأْسَ وَ إِنْ هُوَ رَعَى فِيهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُدْخِلَهُ بِشَهْرٍ أَوْ شَهْرَيْنِ أَوْ أَكْثَ

“Upon asking him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the case of a man who buys a pasture for fifty dirham or less or more and he wants to allow entering the pasture whoever wants to enter so that he charges them for it. He (the Imam) said, ‘He can allow whomever he wants with a payment of part of what he has paid. If he enters t