I said to Tawus, "I wish you would give up Mukhabara (Sharecropping), for the people say that the Prophet forbade it." On that Tawus replied, "O ʿAmr! I give the land to sharecroppers and help them. No doubt; the most learned man, namely Ibn ʿAbbas told me that the Prophet ﷺ had not forbidden it but said, 'It is more beneficial for one to give his land free to one's brother than to charge him a fixed rental."  

عَمْرٌو قُلْتُ لِطَاوُسٍ لَوْ تَرَكْتَ الْمُخَابَرَةَ فَإِنَّهُمْ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ نَهَى عَنْهُ قَالَ أَىْ عَمْرُو إِنِّي أُعْطِيهِمْ وَأُغْنِيهِمْ وَإِنَّ أَعْلَمَهُمْ أَخْبَرَنِي يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ ؓ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ لَمْ يَنْهَ عَنْهُ وَلَكِنْ قَالَ أَنْ يَمْنَحَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَخَاهُ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ عَلَيْهِ خَرْجًا مَعْلُومًا  

Come along with me to Ibn Rafi b. Khadij in order to listen from him the hadith transmitted on the authority of his father (pertaining to the renting of land) from Allah's Apostle ﷺ. He (Tawus) scolded him and said: By Allah, it I were to know that Messenger of Allah ﷺ had forbidden it, I would have never done it. But it has been narrated to me by one who has better knowledge of it amongst them (and he meant Ibn 'Abbas) that Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: It is better if a person lends, his land to his brother (for cultivation) than that he gets recognised rent on it.  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ فَانْتَهَرَهُ قَالَ إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لَوْ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَهَى عَنْهُ مَا فَعَلْتُهُ وَلَكِنْ حَدَّثَنِي مَنْ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنْهُمْ يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لأَنْ يَمْنَحَ الرَّجُلُ أَخَاهُ أَرْضَهُ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ عَلَيْهَا خَرْجًا مَعْلُومًا  

I said to him: Abu Abd al-Rahrman, I wish if you abandon this renting of land, for they alleged that Allah's Apostle ﷺ forbade Mukhabara. He siad: Amr, one who has informed me has the best knowledge of it among them (he meant Ibn Abbas). (He said) that Allah's Apostle ﷺ did not prohibit it altogether, but said: Lending of land by one among you to his brother is better for him than getting a specified amount of produce from it.  

عَمْرٌو فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ لَوْ تَرَكْتَ هَذِهِ الْمُخَابَرَةَ فَإِنَّهُمْ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ نَهَى عَنِ الْمُخَابَرَةِ فَقَالَ أَىْ عَمْرُو أَخْبَرَنِي أَعْلَمُهُمْ بِذَلِكَ يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ لَمْ يَنْهَ عَنْهَا إِنَّمَا قَالَ يَمْنَحُ أَحَدُكُمْ أَخَاهُ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ عَلَيْهَا خَرْجًا مَعْلُومًا  

I said to Tawus: “O Abu 'Abdur-Rahman, why do you not give up this Mukhabarah because they claim that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade it.” He said: “O 'Amr, I help them by taking their land and cultivating it, and giving them something in return, and Muʿadh bin Jabal allowed people here to do that. The most knowledgeable of them - meaning IbnʿAbbas - told me that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not forbid it, rather he said: 'For one you to give (land) to his brother is better than if he were to take a set amount in rent for it.'”  

قُلْتُ لِطَاوُسٍ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ لَوْ تَرَكْتَ هَذِهِ الْمُخَابَرَةَ فَإِنَّهُمْ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَهَى عَنْهُ فَقَالَ أَىْ عَمْرُو إِنِّي أُعِينُهُمْ وَأُعْطِيهِمْ وَإِنَّ مُعَاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ أَخَذَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا عِنْدَنَا وَإِنَّ أَعْلَمَهُمْ يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ أَخْبَرَنِي أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَمْ يَنْهَ عَنْهَا وَلَكِنْ قَالَ لأَنْ يَمْنَحَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَخَاهُ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ عَلَيْهَا أَجْرًا مَعْلُومًا  

Come along with me to Ibn Rafi b. Khadij in order to listen from him the hadith transmitted on the authority of his father (pertaining to the renting of land) from Allah's Apostle ﷺ. He (Tawus) scolded him and said: By Allah, it I were to know that Messenger of Allah ﷺ had forbidden it, I would have never done it. But it has been narrated to me by one who has better knowledge of it amongst them (and he meant Ibn 'Abbas) that Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: It is better if a person lends, his land to his brother (for cultivation) than that he gets recognised rent on it. (Using translation from Muslim 1550a)   

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ فَانْتَهَرَهُ وَقَالَ إِنِّي وَاللهِ لَوْ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ نَهَى عَنْهُ مَا فَعَلْتُهُ وَلَكِنْ حَدَّثَنِي مَنْ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنْهُمْ يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ لَأَنْ يَمْنَحَ الرَّجُلُ أَخَاهُ أَرْضَهُ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ عَلَيْهَا خَرْجًا مَعْلُومًا