Al-Mu'jam al-Awsat 4112 — Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab appointed

Abd al-Rahman bin Ghanm (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) as governor over Sham and wrote to him: "Give the people their stipends and lead them out on campaign." So one day, in the last part of the day, while Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) was giving the people their stipends, a man from the countryside, from such-and-such a place, came and said: "O Mu'adh, who will give me my stipend? I am one of the country people of such-and-such a place; perhaps I may reach my family before nightfall?" Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "By Allah, I will not give to you until I have given to these," meaning the people of the city. Then he said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: 'All the prophets (peace be upon them) will enter Paradise two thousand years before Dawud and Sulayman (peace be upon them both); the poor among the Muslims will enter Paradise forty years before their rich; righteous slaves will enter Paradise forty years before free men; and the people of the cities will enter Paradise forty years before the people of the countryside. The cities are given excellence because of the Friday prayer, the congregations and the circles of remembrance (dhikr); and when a trial comes, it is confined to them and does not reach the people of the countryside.'"
Imam al-Tabarani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "This hadith was narrated from al-Zuhri only by Shu'ayb, from Shu'ayb only by Amr, and from Amr only by Harun; and it is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) only with this chain."