Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 4445

Salim bin Abi Umayyah Abu al-Nadr narrates: An elderly man from Banu Tamim sat with me in the mosque of Basrah, and he had a document in his hand. The narrator says: This was in the time of al-Hajjaj. He said to me: "O servant of Allah! Do you think this document can be of any use to me before this ruler?" I said: "What is this document?" He said: "This is a letter of the Messenger of Allah, which he wrote for us, that we should not be wronged regarding our zakah." The narrator says: I said: "By Allah! I do not think it will be of any use to you. But what is the story of this document?" That man said: I came to Madinah with my father when I was a boy; we had brought our camels, which we wanted to sell. My father was a friend of Sayyiduna Talhah bin Ubaydullah al-Taymi (may Allah be pleased with him). We stopped in Madinah, and my father said to him: "Come with me and get these camels of mine sold." He said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has forbidden that a town-dweller sell something on behalf of a desert-dweller. However, I will go with you and sit, and you offer your camels; when you are satisfied with a man who is offering you a price to your liking, I will instruct you to sell to him." The narrator says: We went to the market and stood our animals, and Sayyiduna Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) sat nearby. Various people bargained with us, until, when a man agreed to give us a price that pleased us, my father asked him: "Shall I sell to him?" Sayyiduna Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Sell it to him; I am satisfied with his payment for you; make the deal with him." So we made the deal with that man. When we had taken possession of our money and finished our business, my father said to Sayyiduna Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him): "Get me a document from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that we should not be wronged regarding our zakah." He said: "This right belongs to you and to every Muslim." My father said: "(I want) to have a document from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with me." The narrator says: So he set out, until he brought us to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! This man is a resident of the desert and is a friend of mine. He wants to have a document stating that he should not be wronged regarding his zakah." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "This right belongs to him and to every Muslim." He said: "O Messenger of Allah! He wants to have a document from you about this." The narrator says: So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had this document written for us.
(Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Abu Dawud recorded from this narration only the part concerning a town-dweller selling something on behalf of a desert-dweller,
narrated from Sayyiduna Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him). Ahmad and Abu Ya'la recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.