My uncle Zuhair said, "Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade us to do a thing which was a source of help to us." I said, "Whatever Messenger of Allah ﷺ said was right." He said, "Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent for me and asked, 'What are you doing with your farms?' I replied, 'We give our farms on rent on the basis that we get the yield produced at the banks of the water streams (rivers) for the rent, or rent it for some Wasqs of barley and dates.' Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Do not do so, but cultivate (the land) yourselves or let it be cultivated by others gratis, or keep it uncultivated.' I said, 'We hear and obey.'  

ظُهَيْرٌ لَقَدْ نَهَانَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ أَمْرٍ كَانَ بِنَا رَافِقًا قُلْتُ مَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَهْوَ حَقٌّ قَالَ دَعَانِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ بِمَحَاقِلِكُمْ قُلْتُ نُؤَاجِرُهَا عَلَى الرُّبُعِ وَعَلَى الأَوْسُقِ مِنَ التَّمْرِ وَالشَّعِيرِ قَالَ لا تَفْعَلُوا ازْرَعُوهَا أَوْ أَزْرِعُوهَا أَوْ أَمْسِكُوهَا قَالَ رَافِعٌ قُلْتُ سَمْعًا وَطَاعَةً  

The people used to rent their land for cultivation for one-third, one-fourth or half its yield. The Prophet said, "Whoever has land should cultivate it himself or give it to his (Muslim) brother gratis; otherwise keep it uncultivated." Narrated Abu Huraira: Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Whoever has land should cultivate it himself or give it to his (Muslim) brother gratis; otherwise he should keep it uncultivated."  

النَّبِيُّ ﷺ مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ أَرْضٌ فَلْيَزْرَعْهَا أَوْ لِيَمْنَحْهَا فَإِنْ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ فَلْيُمْسِكْ أَرْضَهُ وَقَالَ الرَّبِيعُ بْنُ نَافِعٍ أَبُو تَوْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاوِيَةُ عَنْ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ أَرْضٌ فَلْيَزْرَعْهَا أَوْ لِيَمْنَحْهَا أَخَاهُ فَإِنْ أَبَى فَلْيُمْسِكْ أَرْضَهُ  

When I mentioned it (i.e. the narration of Rafiʿ 'bin Khadij: no. 532) to Tawus, he said, "It is permissible to rent the land for cultivation, for Ibn ʿAbbas said, 'The Prophet ﷺ did not forbid that, but said: One had better give the land to one's brother gratis rather than charge a certain amount for it.' "  

ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ ؓ إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ لَمْ يَنْهَ عَنْهُ وَلَكِنْ قَالَ أَنْ يَمْنَحَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَخَاهُ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ شَيْئًا مَعْلُومًا  

Ibn ʿUmar used to rent his farms in the time of Abu Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthman, and in the early days of Muawiya. Then he was told the narration of Rafiʿ 'bin Khadij that the Prophet ﷺ had forbidden the renting of farms. Ibn ʿUmar went to Rafiʿ and I accompanied him. He asked Rafiʿ who replied that the Prophet had forbidden the renting of farms. Ibn ʿUmar said, "You know that we used to rent our farms in the lifetime of Messenger of Allah ﷺ for the yield of the banks of the water streams (rivers) and for certain amount of figs.  

أَنَّ ابْنَ عُمَرَ ؓ كَانَ يُكْرِي مَزَارِعَهُ عَلَى عَهْدِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَأَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَصَدْرًا مِنْ إِمَارَةِ مُعَاوِيَةَ ثُمَّ حُدِّثَ عَنْ رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ نَهَى عَنْ كِرَاءِ الْمَزَارِعِ فَذَهَبَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ إِلَى رَافِعٍ فَذَهَبْتُ مَعَهُ فَسَأَلَهُ فَقَالَ نَهَى النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عَنْ كِرَاءِ الْمَزَارِعِ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ قَدْ عَلِمْتَ أَنَّا كُنَّا نُكْرِي مَزَارِعَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِمَا عَلَى الأَرْبِعَاءِ وَبِشَىْءٍ مِنَ التِّبْنِ  

ʿAbdullah bin ʿUmar said, "I knew that the land was rented for cultivation in the lifetime of Allah's Apostle ." Later on Ibn ʿUmar was afraid that the Prophet ﷺ had forbidden it, and he had no knowledge of it, so he gave up renting his land.  

كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ فِي عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَّ الأَرْضَ تُكْرَى ثُمَّ خَشِيَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ أَنْ يَكُونَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ قَدْ أَحْدَثَ فِي ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا لَمْ يَكُنْ يَعْلَمُهُ فَتَرَكَ كِرَاءَ الأَرْضِ