Ibn ʿAbbās said, “Those of Muhammad’s Companions ﷺ who are known for their precise retention of knowledge all know that Zayd ibn Thābit is one of the scholars firmly grounded in knowledge.” (1)
Al-Aʿmash reported, from Muslim, from Masrūq, from ʿAbd Allāh:
He used to rule, in a case involving full sisters, full brothers, and paternal half-sisters, that two-thirds be allotted to the full sisters; whatever remained was to go to the males, to the exclusion of the females.
When Masrūq later came to Medina he heard Zayd’s opinion on the same issue and was pleased with it. One of his companions asked, “Will you abandon the view of ʿAbd Allāh?”
He replied, “I came to Medina and found that Zayd ibn Thābit is among those firmly grounded in knowledge”—meaning that Zayd would distribute the remainder among all the surviving heirs. (2)
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr narrated, on the authority of Abū Salamah, that Ibn ʿAbbās once approached Zayd ibn Thābit and held his stirrup for him. Zayd said, “Step aside, O cousin of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.” Ibn ʿAbbās replied, “This is how we treat our scholars and our elders.” (3)
(1) Tahdhib Ibn Asakir, 5/451. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, in Al-Isaba, 4/43, attributes the report to Al-Baghawi. In the printed edition the word al-mahfuzun (those whose wording is reliably preserved) has been corrupted to al-hafizun. Abu Zurʿa also transmits it in Tarikh Dimashq, no. 1944, through Ahmad b. ʿAbd Allah b. Yunus – Abu Shihab al-Hannat – Al-Aʿmash – Abu al-Dahha Muslim b. Subayh – Masruq, who said: “I arrived in Madina and found Zayd b. Thabit among the scholars firmly grounded in knowledge.” The chain of transmission is sound.
(2) The isnad is sound; see Tahdhib Ibn Asakir, 5/451. The phrase “yushrik bayna al-baqin” means that he put the remaining heirs on an equal footing when distributing the estate.
(3) Chain of transmission: hasan. Reported by Ibn Saʿd, 2/360, through Muhammad b. ʿAbd Allah al-Ansari with this isnad; authenticated by Al-Hakim, 3/423, and endorsed by Al-Dhahabi. Also in Tahdhib Ibn Asakir, 5/451-452. Al-Tabarani (no. 4746) records it via ʿAli b. ʿAbd al-ʿAziz – Abu Nuʿaym Razin al-Rammani – from Al-Shaʿbi about Zayd b. Thabit… Al-Haythami, Majmaʿ, 9/345, notes that its transmitters are those of the two Sahihs except Razin al-Rammani, who is trustworthy. Al-Hakim, 3/428, also gives it through Ibn Jurayj – ʿAmr b. Dinar… Ibn Hajar, Al-Isaba, 4/42-43, cites the Al-Shaʿbi version, attributing it to Yaʿqub al-Fasawi and declaring the isnad authentic.