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

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