Narrator:Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri
وَعَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سُئِلَ: أَيُّ الْعِبَادِ أَفْضَلُ وَأَرْفَعُ دَرَجَةً عِنْدَ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ؟ قَالَ: «الذَّاكِرُونَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتُ» قِيلَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمِنَ الْغَازِي فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: «لَوْ ضَرَبَ بِسَيْفِهِ فِي الْكُفَّارِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ حَتَّى يَنْكَسِرَ وَيَخْتَضِبَ دَمًا فَإِنَّ الذَّاكِرَ لِلَّهِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْهُ دَرَجَة» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمد وَالتِّرْمِذِيّ وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيّ: هَذَا حَدِيث حسن غَرِيب
Abu Sa'id said God’s messenger was asked who would be most excellent and most exalted in degree in God’s estimation on the day of resurrection, and replied, “The men and women who make frequent mention of God.” He was asked if they would be superior even to the man who had fought in God’s path, and replied, “Even though he plied his sword among infidels and polytheists till it was broken and smeared with blood, the one who made mention of God would have a more excellent degree than he.” Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it, the latter saying this is a gharib tradition.
Reported by At-Tirmidhi (No. 3376) and Ahmad (No. 11295). Cited in Mishkat al-Masabih (No. 2280).