Muwatta Imam Malik Book of Renting Land, Hadith 41

Malik related to me that he had heard that Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf rented land, and he continued to have it in his possession until he died. His son said, "I thought that it was ours because of the length of time which it had remained in his hands, until he mentioned it to us at his death. He ordered us to pay some rent which he owed in gold or silver."

وَحَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، أَنَّهُ بَلَغَهُ أَنَّ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ عَوْفٍ، تَكَارَى أَرْضًا فَلَمْ تَزَلْ فِي يَدَيْهِ بِكِرَاءٍ حَتَّى مَاتَ قَالَ ابْنُهُ فَمَا كُنْتُ أُرَاهَا إِلاَّ لَنَا مِنْ طُولِ مَا مَكَثَتْ فِي يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى ذَكَرَهَا لَنَا عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ فَأَمَرَنَا بِقَضَاءِ شَىْءٍ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ كِرَائِهَا ذَهَبٍ أَوْ وَرِقٍ .