Prohibition of Selling Unharvested Crops, Unripe Dates for Dry Dates, and Multi-Year Crop Leases in Sharīʿah
Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
From the root حَاقَلَ يُحَاقِلُ (pattern: Mufāʿalah), it means selling a crop while still in the ear.
al-Ḥaqal refers to cultivable land.
References: al-Nihāyah 1/416; al-Munjid, p. 170; al-Qāmūs al-Muḥīṭ, p. 887.
Example: Selling a standing wheat crop in exchange for a fixed amount of wheat.
From the root زَابَنَ يُزَابِنُ (pattern: Mufāʿalah), meaning to exchange fresh produce still on the tree for an equivalent amount of dried produce of the same type.
al-Zabn refers to bunches.
References: al-Munjid, p. 329.
Example: Selling fresh dates on the tree in exchange for measured dried dates, or fresh grapes for measured raisins.
References: al-Qāmūs al-Muḥīṭ, p. 1084; Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī: 1224.
① Ḥadīth of Jābir رضي الله عنه:
«أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن المحاقلة والمزابنة»
The Prophet ﷺ forbade the sale of Muḥāqalah and Muzābanah.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 2187; Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī: 1290; al-Nasāʾī: 3879; Ibn Mājah: 2266; Musnad Aḥmad: 3/360)
② In Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Muḥāqalah is explained as:
«أن يبيع الرجل الزرع بمائة فرق حنطة»
That a man sells a crop of wheat for 100 measures of harvested wheat.
(Muslim: 1536)
③ Ḥadīth of Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما explains Muzābanah:
Selling garden fruits (fresh dates) in exchange for measured dried dates, or fresh grapes for measured raisins.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 2205)
④ Another narration describes Muzābanah as:
Selling fresh dates on the tree for a set measure of dried dates, with a condition that if the yield is more, it belongs to the buyer, and if less, the seller makes up the difference.
(Muslim: 2849)
Reason for Prohibition:
In both cases, the exact measure of fresh produce after drying is unknown; there is a risk of excess or shortage, leading to one party’s loss.
References: Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī 4/473; Sharḥ al-Sunnah: 436, 516; al-Nihāyah 1/416.
From the root عَاوَمَ يُعَاوِمُ (pattern: Mufāʿalah), it means contracting for crops on trees for a year or more in a single deal.
Reference: al-Munjid, p. 593.
① Ḥadīth of Jābir رضي الله عنه:
«نهى رسول الله عن المحاقلة والمزابنة والمعاومة»
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade Muḥāqalah, Muzābanah, and Muʿāwamah.
(Muslim: 1536)
② Ḥadīth of Jābir رضي الله عنه:
«أنه نهى عن بيع السنين»
He ﷺ forbade the sale of fruits for multiple years in advance.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaghīr: 6932)
Reason for Prohibition:
Such contracts involve uncertainty – the crop may be destroyed, reduced, or lost due to drought, flood, or other natural factors. The Sharīʿah only permits sale when the produce is present, harvested, and measurable.
Al-Jazarī رحمه الله likened it to selling an unborn child – something not yet in existence.
Reference: al-Nihāyah 3/323.
Conclusion:
Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
1. Meaning of ‘Muḥāqalah’ (محاقلة)
From the root حَاقَلَ يُحَاقِلُ (pattern: Mufāʿalah), it means selling a crop while still in the ear.
al-Ḥaqal refers to cultivable land.
References: al-Nihāyah 1/416; al-Munjid, p. 170; al-Qāmūs al-Muḥīṭ, p. 887.
Example: Selling a standing wheat crop in exchange for a fixed amount of wheat.
2. Meaning of ‘Muzābanah’ (مزابنة)
From the root زَابَنَ يُزَابِنُ (pattern: Mufāʿalah), meaning to exchange fresh produce still on the tree for an equivalent amount of dried produce of the same type.
al-Zabn refers to bunches.
References: al-Munjid, p. 329.
Example: Selling fresh dates on the tree in exchange for measured dried dates, or fresh grapes for measured raisins.
References: al-Qāmūs al-Muḥīṭ, p. 1084; Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī: 1224.
3. Prohibition from the Sunnah
① Ḥadīth of Jābir رضي الله عنه:
«أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن المحاقلة والمزابنة»
The Prophet ﷺ forbade the sale of Muḥāqalah and Muzābanah.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 2187; Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī: 1290; al-Nasāʾī: 3879; Ibn Mājah: 2266; Musnad Aḥmad: 3/360)
② In Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Muḥāqalah is explained as:
«أن يبيع الرجل الزرع بمائة فرق حنطة»
That a man sells a crop of wheat for 100 measures of harvested wheat.
(Muslim: 1536)
③ Ḥadīth of Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما explains Muzābanah:
Selling garden fruits (fresh dates) in exchange for measured dried dates, or fresh grapes for measured raisins.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 2205)
④ Another narration describes Muzābanah as:
Selling fresh dates on the tree for a set measure of dried dates, with a condition that if the yield is more, it belongs to the buyer, and if less, the seller makes up the difference.
(Muslim: 2849)
Reason for Prohibition:
In both cases, the exact measure of fresh produce after drying is unknown; there is a risk of excess or shortage, leading to one party’s loss.
References: Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī 4/473; Sharḥ al-Sunnah: 436, 516; al-Nihāyah 1/416.
4. Meaning of ‘Muʿāwamah’ (معاومة)
From the root عَاوَمَ يُعَاوِمُ (pattern: Mufāʿalah), it means contracting for crops on trees for a year or more in a single deal.
Reference: al-Munjid, p. 593.
5. Prohibition from the Sunnah
① Ḥadīth of Jābir رضي الله عنه:
«نهى رسول الله عن المحاقلة والمزابنة والمعاومة»
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade Muḥāqalah, Muzābanah, and Muʿāwamah.
(Muslim: 1536)
② Ḥadīth of Jābir رضي الله عنه:
«أنه نهى عن بيع السنين»
He ﷺ forbade the sale of fruits for multiple years in advance.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaghīr: 6932)
Reason for Prohibition:
Such contracts involve uncertainty – the crop may be destroyed, reduced, or lost due to drought, flood, or other natural factors. The Sharīʿah only permits sale when the produce is present, harvested, and measurable.
Al-Jazarī رحمه الله likened it to selling an unborn child – something not yet in existence.
Reference: al-Nihāyah 3/323.
Conclusion:- Muḥāqalah (selling unharvested crops for harvested grain) – Ḥarām
- Muzābanah (selling fresh produce for dried produce of same type) – Ḥarām
- Muʿāwamah (multi-year forward sales of crops) – Ḥarām
