Sayyiduna al-Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) was a Companion who fought at Badr. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stayed for some time in his house near (the hill of) al-Safa until the number of Muslims reached forty, the last of whom to accept Islam was Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). When they numbered forty, they went out to the polytheists. Sayyiduna al-Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) relates: (One day) I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to take leave of him, as I intended to go to Bayt al-Maqdis. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked me: "Where do you intend to go?" I said: "I intend to go to Bayt al-Maqdis." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Why do you want to go there? Is it for trade?" I said: "No! Rather, I want to pray there." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "One prayer offered here is better than a thousand prayers there." The narrators of Imam al-Tabarani are thiqat (trustworthy). Among the narrators of Imam Ahmad is Yahya bin Imran, whom Abu Hatim declared majhul (unknown).
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب الحج / 5863
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:ورجال الطبراني ثقات، ورجال أحمد فيهم يحيى بن عمران جهله أبو حاتم.
Hadith Takhrij«اخرجه الطبراني فى المعجم الكبير (907) مستدرك حاكم (504/3) ، أخرجه المعجم الكبير للطبراني برقم: 907، وأخرجه شرح مشكل الآثار برقم: 606»