This excerpt is taken from the book by Sheikh Abi Abdul Saboor Abdul Ghafoor Damni Fazail al-Jihad.
عن الزهري قال حدثني عطاء بن يزيد الليثي أن أبا سعيد الخدري رضى الله عنه حدثه قال قيل يا رسول الله أى الناس أفضل؟ فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: مؤمن يجاهد فى سبيل الله بنفسه وماله قالوا ثم من قال: مؤمن فى شعب من الشعاب يتقي الله ويدع الناس من شره.
"Zahri says that Ata bin Yazid Laithi, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated to me that Abu Saeed Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated a hadith in which it was said: O Messenger of Allah! Who among the people is the best? The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'The believer who strives in the way of Allah with his life and wealth.' The noble companions, may Allah be pleased with them, said: Then who? The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'The believer who lives in a mountain valley, fears Allah, and leaves the people, protecting them from his evil.'"
Reference: (Sahih Bukhari and Muslim) (Narrated by Bukhari, Book of Jihad and Expeditions, Chapter: The best of people is a believer who strives with his self and wealth in the way of Allah, Number: 2786 and its wording / Muslim, Book of Leadership, Chapter: The virtue of Jihad and Ribat, Number: 1888)
Explanation
In this hadith, several types of men are declared the best among people:
➊ The believer who fights in the way of Allah with his life and wealth.
➋ The believer who lives in isolation from people, fearing Allah, and stays away from people so that no harm comes to anyone from his person, tongue, or hand.
The first mentioned believer is superior because he spends and sacrifices the most beloved things, namely life and wealth, in the way of Allah for His pleasure. The second mentioned is superior because he fears Allah and keeps himself away from people so that no Muslim is harmed by him.
➌ From this hadith, it is also understood that if someone feels that mixing with others causes harm to the servants of Allah, then it is better to live in isolation from people. And Allah knows best.
