As for the hadith narrated by al-Shāfi‘ī, al-Bayhaqī said (1): “Al-Salt ibn Muhammad narrated it from Anas ibn ‘Iyād, from al-Hārith ibn Abī Dhubāb, from Munīr ibn ‘Abd Allāh, from his father, from Sa‘d. Safwān ibn ‘Īsā likewise narrated it from al-Hārith ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmān (2) ibn Abī Dhubāb.” Al-Bukhārī said (3): “‘Abd Allāh, Munīr’s father, narrates from Sa‘d ibn Abī Dhubāb; his hadith has not been established as authentic. ‘Alī ibn al-Madīnī said, ‘We know this Munīr only through this hadith.’ That is what he told me.”

Al-Shāfi‘ī said (4): “Sa‘d ibn Abī Dhubāb recounts something indicating that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, did not instruct him to collect zakat on honey. Rather, this was something he decided upon himself, and its owners gave it to him voluntarily.” Al-Shāfi‘ī said (5): “My preferred view is that no zakat should be collected on it, because the prophetic traditions and transmitted reports are established concerning what is subject to zakat, but none are established concerning honey. It would thus seem to have been left exempt.”

Yahyā ibn Ādam narrated (6): “Husayn ibn Zayd narrated to us, from Ja‘far ibn Muhammad, from his father, from ‘Alī, who said: ‘There is no zakat on honey.’” Yahyā said (7): “Hasan ibn Sālih was asked about honey, and he did not consider any zakat due on it.”