Musnad Ahmad

It is narrated from Hazrat Rafi' bin Khadij (may Allah be pleased with him) that once I met my uncle Zuhair bin Rafi' (may Allah be pleased with him). He said, "Nephew! The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade us from something that could have been beneficial for us." I asked, "Uncle! And what is that?" He said, "He forbade us from sharecropping on the elevated lands that we own." I said, "Obedience to Allah and His Messenger is even more beneficial for us." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Do you rent out your land for something in return?" They said, "For the produce of small water channels and for a fixed measure of barley." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Do not do so. Whoever has land should cultivate it himself, and if he cannot do so himself, he should allow his brother to do it." So, we sold the lands we had there.