صحيح مسلم
Sahih Muslim
كتاب الإمارة
The Book on Government
باب فَضْلِ الْجِهَادِ وَالرِّبَاطِ:
Chapter: The virtue of Jihad and keeping watch over the frontier
Hadith 1888
This hadith is listed as number 4887 in Maktaba Shamila
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ ، عَنْ الزُّهْرِيِّ ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ اللَّيْثِيِّ ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَجُلٌ : أَيُّ النَّاسِ أَفْضَلُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ؟ ، قَالَ : " مُؤْمِنٌ يُجَاهِدُ بِنَفْسِهِ وَمَالِهِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ " ، قَالَ : ثُمَّ مَنْ ؟ ، قَالَ : " ثُمَّ رَجُلٌ مُعْتَزِلٌ فِي شِعْبٍ مِنَ الشِّعَابِ يَعْبُدُ رَبَّهُ وَيَدَعُ النَّاسَ مِنْ شَرِّهِ " .
It has been narrated (through a diferent chain of transmetters) on the same authority (i. e. Abu Sa'id Khadri) who said: A man asked: Messenger of Allah, which of men is the best? He said: A believer who fights staking his life and spending his wealth in the way of Allah. He asked: Who is next to him (in excellence)? He said: Next to him is a man who lives an isolated life in a mountain gorge, worshipping his Lord and sparing men from his mischief.
