Sayyiduna Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I made a contract of kitabah (manumission by agreed payment) with my master that I would plant five hundred saplings for them, and when fruit hung on them, I would be free. Sayyiduna Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and mentioned this to him, and he said: "Plant, and make the condition for them; when you intend to make the condition, inform me." I informed him, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came and planted all the saplings with his own blessed hand; only one sapling was different, which I planted myself. All the rest bore fruit, except that one, which did not.
Imam Ahmad recorded this narration; its chain contains a narrator, Ali bin Zayd, in whom there is weakness, and the hadith he narrates is hasan (good); the remaining narrators of this narration are the narrators of the Sahih. This narration has various chains, which will come as a lengthy narration in the chapter on "Manaqib" (virtues), and in other places as well.
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب العتق / 7278
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:إسنادہ حسن
Hadith Takhrij«أخرجه مسند أحمد برقم: 23218، وأخرجه المستدرك على الصحيحين برقم: 2917»