Mishkat al-Masabih 5757

Al 'Abbas told that he came to the Prophet who seemed to have heard something and so mounted the pulpit and asked, "Who am I?" On being told that he was God's messenger he said, "I am Muhammad son of `Abdallah son of Abd al-Muttalib. God created all creatures and placed me among the best of them, then put them in two sections[*] and placed me in the better section, then made them into tribes and placed me in the best tribe, then made them into families and placed me in the best family, and I am inherently the best of them and come of the best family." *Mirqat; 5:366, explains this as meaning Arabs and foreigners, with which may be compared the contrast between Jews and Gentiles, or Greeks and barbarians. Tirmidhi transmitted it.