حَدَّثَنِي إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو مُسْهِرٍ، حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ حَمْزَةَ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو عَمْرٍو الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي النَّجَاشِيِّ، مَوْلَى رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ عَنْ رَافِعٍ، أَنَّ ظُهَيْرَ بْنَ رَافِعٍ، - وَهُوَ عَمُّهُ - قَالَ أَتَانِي ظُهَيْرٌ فَقَالَ لَقَدْ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ أَمْرٍ كَانَ بِنَا رَافِقًا ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ وَمَا ذَاكَ مَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَهُوَ حَقٌّ ‏.‏ قَالَ سَأَلَنِي كَيْفَ تَصْنَعُونَ بِمَحَاقِلِكُمْ فَقُلْتُ نُؤَاجِرُهَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ عَلَى الرَّبِيعِ أَوِ الأَوْسُقِ مِنَ التَّمْرِ أَوِ الشَّعِيرِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏ "‏ فَلاَ تَفْعَلُوا ازْرَعُوهَا أَوْ أَزْرِعُوهَا أَوْ أَمْسِكُوهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Rafi (Allah be pleased with him) reported that Zuhair b. Rafi (who was his uncle) came to me and said:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade a practice which was useful for us. I said: What is this? (I believe) that whatrver Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) says is absolutely true. He (Zuhair) said that he (the Holy Prophet) asked me: What do you do with your cultivable lands? I said: Allah's Messenger, we rent those irrigated by canals for dry dates or barley. He said: Don't do that. Cultivate them or let them be cultivated (by others) or retain them yourself