Compiled by Imam Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَعَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ بْنِ عَامِرٍ، - قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَسْوَدُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ، - حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، وَعَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَرَّ بِقَوْمٍ يُلَقِّحُونَ فَقَالَ " لَوْ لَمْ تَفْعَلُوا لَصَلُحَ " . قَالَ فَخَرَجَ شِيصًا فَمَرَّ بِهِمْ فَقَالَ " مَا لِنَخْلِكُمْ " . قَالُوا قُلْتَ كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ " أَنْتُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِأَمْرِ دُنْيَاكُمْ " .
If you were not to do it, it might be good for you. (So they abandoned this practice) and there was a decline in the yield. He (the Holy Prophet) happened to pass by them (and said): What has gone wrong with your trees? They said: You said so and so. Thereupon he said: You have better knowledge (of a technical skill) in the affairs of the world.