Nasai

(1) The aforementioned narration has been declared weak in its chain of transmission by the researcher of the book, and he has further written that it has supporting evidences (shawahid). However, he did not pass a judgment of authenticity or weakness upon these supporting evidences. Among other researchers, some have graded this narration as hasan, and some as sahih, and have mentioned its corroborating narrations and supporting evidences. From this, it is understood that despite the aforementioned narration being weak in its chain, it is still actionable and a valid proof. For details, see (Dhakheerat al-‘Uqba Sharh Sunan al-Nasa’i: 22/125-127, and al-Mawsu‘ah al-Hadithiyyah Musnad al-Imam Ahmad: 31/132, 133, and Sahih Sunan Abi Dawud (detailed by al-Albani, no. 1409).

(2) In zakat, a middle-quality animal should be taken so that neither the owner suffers loss nor the poor. A suckling baby animal is harmful for the poor, and giving a milk-giving animal is harmful for the owner. Some scholars have interpreted this to mean that we will not take as zakat that animal which is kept for milk, because such an animal does not graze but is given special fodder.

(3) Just as it is not permissible for the owner to combine separate animals or separate combined animals, likewise it is not permissible for the zakat collector either. For example: zakat will not be collected by combining two brothers’ separate flocks of thirty goats each.

(4) “He refused.” Because it is not permissible to take such a valuable thing in zakat.