Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 2335
sahih

Narrated `Aisha:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who cultivates land that does not belong to anybody is more rightful (to own it)." `Urwa said, "`Umar gave the same verdict in his Caliphate."

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏

‏ مَنْ أَعْمَرَ أَرْضًا لَيْسَتْ لأَحَدٍ فَهْوَ أَحَقُّ ‏

‏‏.‏ قَالَ عُرْوَةُ قَضَى بِهِ عُمَرُ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ فِي خِلاَفَتِهِ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 41, Hadith 16
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 3, Book 39, Hadith 528 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
Islam urges Muslims to revive and cultivate the deserted and uncultivated lands. In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ stated that whoever cultivates an unplanted land that has no buildings thereon, reviving it by means of cultivation or development, and it has no known owner and is not connected with the interests of a given town or village, e.g., by being a pasture for their animals, then such a person is more deserving of its ownership than anyone else. He does not need the permission of the ruler for it;though it was also said that the ruler’s permission is required. It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible to revive and cultivate the uncultivated lands and avail oneself of them..
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