Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Habban from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ said, "Sheep from the zakat were brought past Umar ibn al-Khattab and he saw amongst them a sheep with a large udder, ready to give milk, and he said, 'What is this sheep doing here?' and they replied, 'It is one of the sheep from the zakat.' Umar said, 'The owners did not give this sheep willingly. Do not subject people to trials. Do not take from the muslims those of their animals which are the best food-producers.' "  

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ مُرَّ عَلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ بِغَنَمٍ مِنَ الصَّدَقَةِ فَرَأَى فِيهَا شَاةً حَافِلاً ذَاتَ ضَرْعٍ عَظِيمٍ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ مَا هَذِهِ الشَّاةُ فَقَالُوا شَاةٌ مِنَ الصَّدَقَةِ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ مَا أَعْطَى هَذِهِ أَهْلُهَا وَهُمْ طَائِعُونَ لاَ تَفْتِنُوا النَّاسَ لاَ تَأْخُذُوا حَزَرَاتِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ نَكِّبُوا عَنِ الطَّعَامِ  

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Habban said, "Two men from the Ashja tribe told me that Muhammad ibn Maslama al-Ansari used tocome to them to collect their zakat, and he would say to anyone who owned livestock, 'Select (the animal for) the zakat on your livestock and bring it to me,' and he would accept any sheep that was brought to him provided it met the requirements of what the man owed." Malik said, "The sunna with us, and what I have seen the people of knowledge doing in our city, is that things are not made difficult for the muslims in their paying zakat, and whatever they offer of their livestock is accepted from them."  

أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ مَسْلَمَةَ الأَنْصَارِيَّ كَانَ يَأْتِيهِمْ مُصَدِّقًا فَيَقُولُ لِرَبِّ الْمَالِ أَخْرِجْ إِلَىَّ صَدَقَةَ مَالِكَ فَلاَ يَقُودُ إِلَيْهِ شَاةً فِيهَا وَفَاءٌ مِنْ حَقِّهِ إِلاَّ قَبِلَهَا قَالَ مَالِكٌ السُّنَّةُ عِنْدَنَا وَالَّذِي أَدْرَكْتُ عَلَيْهِ أَهْلَ الْعِلْمِ بِبَلَدِنَا أَنَّهُ لاَ يُضَيَّقُ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ فِي زَكَاتِهِمْ وَأَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُمْ مَا دَفَعُوا مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ