They also said: Abū al-Ḥasan al-Dāraquṭnī stated in his ‘Ilal (1), “The ḥadith is reliably preserved from al-Zuhrī.”

Abū Aḥmad ibn ʿAdī (2) likewise affirmed that the report has an authentic basis and upheld Saʿīd’s version from Abū Hurayrah—and the testimony of such luminaries is surely sufficient.

Al-Tirmidhī (3) asked al-Bukhārī about the ḥadith of Sufyān ibn Ḥusayn on charitable dues, and he replied, “I hope it is preserved, and Sufyān ibn Ḥusayn is truthful.”

Thus, the foremost authority in this field has borne witness that the transmission from al-Zuhrī is sound and that Sufyān ibn Ḥusayn is reliable; such an endorsement is enough to employ the ḥadith as legal evidence.

They further observed that Saʿīd ibn Bashīr corroborated the narration from al-Zuhrī, as reported by Abū Dāwūd and Ibn ʿAdī (4). Undeniably, this strengthens the ḥadith and removes the charge that Sufyān ibn Ḥusayn is its sole transmitter.

Moreover, the leading imams spoke highly of this very Saʿīd ibn Bashīr (5):