Chapter on Reviving Barren Lands and Properties

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الشِّرَاءِ مِنْ أَرْضِ

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص‌[5] مَنْ غَرَسَ شَجَراً بَدْءاً أَوْ حَفَرَ وَادِياً لَمْ يَسْبِقْهُ إِلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ أَوْ أَحْيَا أَرْضاً مَيْتَةً فَهِيَ لَهُ قَضَاءً مِنَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ رَسُولِهِ.

Hadith.3877 - The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: "Whoever plants a tree from the beginning, or digs a valley that no one has preceded him in, or revives dead land, then it belongs to him, this is a decree from Allah (swt), the Mighty and Glorious, and His Messenger."

أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ اشْتَرَى مِنْ رَجُلٍ أَرْضاً جُرْبَاناً مَعْلُومَةً بِمِائَةِ كُرٍّ عَلَى أَنْ يُعْطِيَهُ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ فَقَالَ حَرَامٌ‌[6] قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَإِنِ اشْتَرَى مِنْهُ الْأَرْضَ بِكَيْلٍ مَعْلُومٍ وَ حِنْطَةٍ مِنْ غَيْرِهَا[7] فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ.

I asked Abu Al-Hasan (as) about a man who purchased a specified number of plots of land from another man for one hundred kurr, with the condition that he would give him the payment from the yield of the land. Imam (as) said: "This is forbidden." I said: "May I be your ransom, what if he purchases the land with a specif

لَا يَشْتَرِي مِنْ أَرَاضِي أَهْلِ السَّوَادِ شَيْئاً إِلَّا مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ ذِمَّةٌ فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ فَيْءٌ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ[1].

هِيَ لَهُ وَ لَهُ أَجْرُ بُيُوتِهَا وَ عَلَيْهِ فِيهَا الْعُشْرُ فِيمَا سَقَتِ السَّمَاءُ أَوْ سَيْلُ وَادٍ أَوْ عَيْنٌ وَ عَلَيْهِ فِيمَا سَقَتِ الدَّوَالِي وَ الْغَرْبُ‌[3] نِصْفُ الْعُشْرِ.

Imam (as) 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 (as) 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 s

يَشْتَرِيهِ بِالْوَرِقِ فَإِنَّ أَصْلَهُ طَعَامٌ‌[5].

Hadith.3881 - Sama'ah asked him about a man who entered into a farming partnership with a Muslim or a covenant holder (Mu'ahid) and spent on it, but then decided to sell it. Imam (as) said: "He may sell it for silver coins, for its origin is food."

"ثَلاَثَةُ أَيَّامٍ".

Hadith.3882 - Abdullah bin Sinan asked him about staying with the people who pay land tax (Ahl al-Kharaj). Imam (as) said: "Three days."

أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ الثَّانِيَ ع عَنْ دَارٍ كَانَتْ لِامْرَأَةٍ وَ كَانَ لَهَا ابْنٌ وَ ابْنَةٌ فَغَابَ الِابْنُ فِي الْبَحْرِ وَ مَاتَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ فَادَّعَتِ ابْنَتُهَا أَنَّ أُمَّهَا كَانَتْ صَيَّرَتْ تِلْكَ الدَّارَ لَهَا وَ بَاعَتْ أَشْقَاصاً[7] مِنْهَا وَ بَقِيَتْ فِي الدَّارِ قِطْعَةٌ- إِلَى جَنْبِ دَارِ رَجُلٍ مِنْ إِخْوَانِنَا فَهُوَ يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يَشْتَرِيَهَا لِغَيْبَةِ الِابْنِ وَ مَا يَتَخَوَّفُ مِنْ أَنَّهُ

I asked Abu Ja'far Al-Thani (as) about a house that belonged to a woman who had a son and a daughter. The son went missing at sea, and the woman died. The daughter claimed that her mother had transferred the ownership of the house to her and sold portions of it, leaving a remaining portion beside the house of one of ou

كَتَبَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الصَّفَّارُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ‌[2] إِلَى أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ ع‌ فِي رَجُلٍ اشْتَرَى مِنْ رَجُلٍ بَيْتاً فِي دَارٍ لَهُ بِجَمِيعِ حُقُوقِهِ وَ فَوْقَهُ بَيْتٌ آخَرُ هَلْ يَدْخُلُ الْبَيْتُ الْأَعْلَى فِي حُقُوقِ الْبَيْتِ الْأَسْفَلِ أَمْ لَا فَوَقَّعَ ع لَيْسَ لَهُ إِلَّا مَا اشْتَرَاهُ بِاسْمِهِ وَ مَوْضِعِهِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ.

Hadith.3884 - Muhammad bin Al-Hasan Al-Saffar, may Allah (swt) have mercy on him, wrote to Abu Muhammad Al-Hasan bin Ali (as) regarding a man who purchased a house in a property with all its rights, and there was another house above it. He asked whether the upper house is included in the rights of the lower house or no

وَ كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ فِي رَجُلٍ قَالَ لِرَجُلَيْنِ اشْهَدَا أَنَّ جَمِيعَ الدَّارِ الَّتِي لَهُ فِي مَوْضِعِ كَذَا وَ كَذَا بِحُدُودِهَا كُلِّهَا لِفُلَانِ بْنِ فُلَانٍ وَ جَمِيعَ مَا لَهُ فِي الدَّارِ مِنَ الْمَتَاعِ وَ الْبَيِّنَةُ لَا تَعْرِفُ الْمَتَاعَ أَيُّ شَيْ‌ءٍ هُوَ فَوَقَّعَ ع يَصْلُحُ إِذَا أَحَاطَ الشِّرَاءُ بِجَمِيعِ ذَلِكَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ‌[3].

Hadith.3885 - He wrote to Imam (as) regarding a man who said to two witnesses, "Bear witness that the entire house which he owns in such-and-such a location, with all its boundaries, belongs to so-and-so, along with all the belongings he has in the house." However, the witnesses did not know what the belongings were. I

وَ كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ فِي رَجُلٍ كَانَتْ لَهُ قِطَاعُ أَرَضِينَ فَحَضَرَهُ الْخُرُوجُ إِلَى مَكَّةَ وَ الْقَرْيَةُ عَلَى مَرَاحِلَ مِنْ مَنْزِلِهِ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ مِنَ الْمُقَامِ مَا يَأْتِي بِحُدُودِ أَرْضِهِ‌[4] وَ عَرَّفَ‌ حُدُودَ الْقَرْيَةِ الْأَرْبَعَةَ فَقَالَ لِلشُّهُودِ اشْهَدُوا أَنِّي قَدْ بِعْتُ مِنْ فُلَانٍ يَعْنِي الْمُشْتَرِيَ جَمِيعَ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِي حَدٌّ مِنْهَا كَذَا وَ الثَّانِي وَ الثَّالِثُ

Hadith.3886 - He wrote to Imam (as) regarding a man who owned several plots of land and was preparing to leave for Mecca. The village was several stages away from his residence, and he did not have enough time to specify the boundaries of his land. Instead, he identified the four boundaries of the entire village and sa

وَ كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ فِي رَجُلٍ يُشْهِدُهُ أَنَّهُ قَدْ بَاعَ ضَيْعَةً مِنْ رَجُلٍ آخَرَ وَ هِيَ قِطَاعُ أَرَضِينَ وَ لَمْ يُعَرِّفِ الْحُدُودَ فِي وَقْتِ مَا أَشْهَدَهُ وَ قَالَ إِذَا أَتَوْكَ بِالْحُدُودِ فَاشْهَدْ بِهَا هَلْ يَجُوزُ لَهُ ذَلِكَ أَوْ لَا يَجُوزُ لَهُ أَنْ يَشْهَدَ فَوَقَّعَ ع نَعَمْ يَجُوزُ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ‌[2].

Hadith.3887 - He wrote to Imam (as) regarding a man who made another person a witness that he had sold an estate to another man. The estate consisted of several plots of land, but the boundaries were not specified at the time the witness was called. The seller then said: "When they bring you the boundaries, testify to

وَ كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ هَلْ يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَشْهَدَ عَلَى الْحُدُودِ إِذَا جَاءَ قَوْمٌ آخَرُونَ مِنْ أَهْلِ تِلْكَ الْقَرْيَةِ فَشَهِدُوا أَنَّ حُدُودَ هَذِهِ الضَّيْعَةِ الَّتِي بَاعَهَا الرَّجُلُ هِيَ هَذِهِ فَهَلْ يَجُوزُ لِهَذَا الشَّاهِدِ الَّذِي أَشْهَدَهُ بِالضَّيْعَةِ وَ لَمْ يُسَمِّ الْحُدُودَ أَنْ يَشْهَدَ بِالْحُدُودِ بِقَوْلِ هَؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ عَرَّفُوا هَذِهِ الضَّيْعَةَ وَ شَهِدُوا لَهُ أَمْ لَا يَجُوزُ لَ

Hadith.3888 - He wrote to Imam (as) asking whether it is permissible for a witness, who was called to testify about the sale of an estate without specifying its boundaries, to later testify to the boundaries based on the statements of other people from the village who identified and confirmed the boundaries of the esta

أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ دَارٍ فِيهَا ثَلَاثَةُ أَبْيَاتٍ وَ لَيْسَ لَهُنَّ حَجْرٌ[1] قَالَ إِنَّمَا الْإِذْنُ عَلَى الْبُيُوتِ لَيْسَ عَلَى الدَّارِ إِذْنٌ‌[2].

I asked Abu Abdillah (as) about a house that contains three rooms, and these rooms do not have separate enclosures. Imam (as) said: "Permission is required for the rooms, but there is no need for permission regarding the house."