Selling and buying water

Salm bin Abi al-Dhayyal (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I asked al-Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him): A man has land but no water; may he buy water to irrigate his land? He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Yes, there is no harm in that.

Ibn Jurayj (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I asked Ata (may Allah have mercy on him): Is it permissible to sell water filled in waterskins? He replied: There is no harm in it. He draws it from the river and carries its load, so it is not like the water flowing in the ground.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade selling surplus water.

It is narrated from Abu Qilabah that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever withholds surplus water in order thereby to withhold surplus grass, Allah Almighty will withhold His abundant favour and honour from him on the Day of Resurrection.

Imran bin Umayr (may Allah have mercy on him) said: A neighbour of mine withheld surplus water. I asked Ubaydullah bin Abdullah bin Utbah (may Allah have mercy on him) about this. He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I heard Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) say: Selling surplus water is not permissible.

Masruq (may Allah have mercy on him) used to approve of selling water and of its price.

Waki' said: He meant water-carrying on pack animals and on the back, by selling it.

Al-Qasim (may Allah have mercy on him) considered the sale of surplus water to be disliked.

Amr bin Shu'ayb narrates from his father and grandfather that they had a slave who would sell the surplus water of their spring for twenty thousand. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: Do not sell it, for selling it is not permissible.

Sayyiduna Iyas bin Abd al-Muzani (may Allah be pleased with him) saw people selling water and said: Do not sell it, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbid selling it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade withholding surplus water so that grass, greenery and the like might thereby be withheld.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: There are three wretched people to whom Allah Almighty will not speak on the Day of Resurrection: first, a man who has surplus water but does not give it to a traveller; second, a man who swears a false oath after Asr in order to sell his goods; third, a man who pledges allegiance at the hand of the leader (imam): if he gives him something, he fulfils the pledge, and if he gives him nothing, he does not fulfil it.

It is narrated from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade withholding surplus water.