Sahih Bukhari 2634

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ ، حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو ، عَنْ طَاوُسٍ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنِي أَعْلَمُهُمْ بِذَاكَ يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَرَجَ إِلَى أَرْضٍ تَهْتَزُّ زَرْعًا ، فَقَالَ : لِمَنْ هَذِهِ ؟ فَقَالُوا : اكْتَرَاهَا فُلَانٌ ، فَقَالَ : أَمَا إِنَّهُ لَوْ مَنَحَهَا إِيَّاهُ كَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ عَلَيْهَا أَجْرًا مَعْلُومًا .

Narrated Tawus: That he was told by the most learned one amongst them (i.e. Ibn `Abbas) that the Prophet went towards some land which was flourishing with vegetation and asked to whom it belonged. He was told that such and such a person took it on rent. The Prophet said, It would have been better (for the owner) if he had given it to him gratis rather than charging him a fixed rent.