Sahih al-Bukhari 2634
Sahih al-Bukhari · Book 51: Gifts · The superiority of the Maniha
Narrated Tawus:
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ ، حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو ، عَنْ طَاوُسٍ ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَعْلَمُهُمْ، بِذَاكَ ـ يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم خَرَجَ إِلَى أَرْضٍ تَهْتَزُّ زَرْعًا فَقَالَ " لِمَنْ هَذِهِ ". فَقَالُوا اكْتَرَاهَا فُلاَنٌ. فَقَالَ " أَمَا إِنَّهُ لَوْ مَنَحَهَا إِيَّاهُ كَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ عَلَيْهَا أَجْرًا مَعْلُومًا " .
That he was told by the most learned one amongst them (i.e. Ibn `Abbas) that the Prophet (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) said, "It would have been better (for the owner) if he had given it to him gratis rather than charging him a fixed rent.