Narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Dinar (may Allah be pleased with him) that we used to give land on sharecropping and did not feel any objection in it, until Sayyiduna Rafi’ bin Khadij (may Allah be pleased with him) expressed the opinion that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had prohibited it. Amr bin Dinar said: When I mentioned this matter before Tawus, he said that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: If any one of you gives his land to his brother as a gift, it is better for him than taking a fixed produce from the land.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent me to some towns of Arabia and ordered me to bring back a third and a quarter of the land from there.

Narrated from Sayyiduna Rafi’ bin Khadij (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to us and forbade us from a practice that was beneficial for us. Nevertheless, the command of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is better for us than that practice from which he forbade us. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever has land, he should cultivate it himself, or leave it as it is, or give it to his brother as a gift for cultivation. Abdul Malik says: I mentioned this hadith to Tawus, and he thought that in this matter, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) was the most knowledgeable, and he narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever has land, if he gives it to his brother for cultivation, then that is better for him. Imam Shu’bah says: Abdul Malik would combine these three narrators: Tawus, Ata, and Mujahid, and regarding the narrator who reported from Mujahid, Shu’bah thought that he was a person of hadith.

It is narrated from Urwah bin Zubair that Sayyiduna Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) said: May Allah forgive Sayyiduna Rafi' bin Khadij (may Allah be pleased with him), I know this blessed hadith better than him. The real matter was that when two men came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and argued, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: If this is your situation, then do not give lands on rent. Sayyiduna Rafi' (may Allah be pleased with him) only heard these words of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Do not give lands on rent.