Sayyiduna Zuhair bin Rafi’ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade us from something that was agreeable to us, so I thought that whatever the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has said is the truth. He informed: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:“What method do you adopt regarding your fields?”We replied: We lease them out for a third or a quarter of the produce, or for a specified wasq of wheat or barley. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:“Do not do so. Either cultivate it yourself or give it to someone else to cultivate.”
(Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) The narrator named Abu Najashi is ‘Ata bin Suhaib, and he is the freed slave of Sayyiduna Rafi’ bin Khadij.