Muhammad or 'Abd Allah b. Mujahid said:

'Abd Allah b. Shaddad and Abu Burdah disputed over salaf (payment in advance). They sent me to Ibn Abi Awfa and I asked him (about it) and he replied: We used to pay in advance (salaf) during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Abu Bakr and 'Umar in wheat, barley, dates and raisins. Ibn Kathir added: "to those people who did not possess these things." The agreed version then goes: I then asked Ibn Abza who gave a similar reply.

حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعْبَةُ، أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدٌ، أَوْ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُجَالِدٍ قَالَ اخْتَلَفَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ شَدَّادٍ وَأَبُو بُرْدَةَ فِي السَّلَفِ فَبَعَثُونِي إِلَى ابْنِ أَبِي أَوْفَى فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ إِنْ كُنَّا نُسْلِفُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ فِي الْحِنْطَةِ وَالشَّعِيرِ وَالتَّمْرِ وَالزَّبِيبِ - زَادَ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ - إِلَى قَوْمٍ مَا هُوَ عِنْدَهُمْ . ثُمَّ اتَّفَقَا وَسَأَلْتُ ابْنَ أَبْزَى فَقَالَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ .