Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 13215

Abd al-Rahman bin Ghanm narrates: Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) as governor of Sham and wrote to him: "Give the people their stipends and take them out on campaign with you." Once, Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) was giving the people their stipends, and this was in the latter part of his time, when a man from the countryside (rustaq) came and said: "O Mu'adh! Order my stipend to be given to me, for I am a man of the countryside from such-and-such a place, so that I may get back to my family before nightfall." Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "No, by Allah! We will not give to you until we have given to these people, meaning the people of the city, because I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'All the prophets will enter Paradise forty years before Sayyiduna Sulayman (peace be upon him); the poor among the believers will enter Paradise forty years before the wealthy; the righteous slaves will enter Paradise forty years before the others; and the people of the cities will enter Paradise forty years before the people of the countryside, because of the virtue of the cities, the congregations, the Friday prayers and the circles of remembrance; and when a trial comes, it falls specifically upon them and not on the others.'"
Al-Tabarani recorded it from his teacher Ali bin Sa'id al-Razi, and he is weak (layyin). The rest of its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy), though there is disagreement about some of them.