حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْخَلَّالُ حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِکِ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو عَقِيلٍ زُهْرَةُ بْنُ مَعْبَدٍ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ مَوْلَی عُثْمَانَ قَال سَمِعْتُ عُثْمَانَ وَهُوَ عَلَی الْمِنْبَرِ يَقُولُ إِنِّي کَتَمْتُکُمْ حَدِيثًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ کَرَاهِيَةَ تَفَرُّقِکُمْ عَنِّي ثُمَّ بَدَا لِي أَنْ أُحَدِّثَکُمُوهُ لِيَخْتَارَ امْرُؤٌ لِنَفْسِهِ مَا بَدَا لَهُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ رِبَاطُ يَوْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ يَوْمٍ فِيمَا سِوَاهُ مِنْ الْمَنَازِلِ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَی هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ و قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَعِيلَ أَبُو صَالِحٍ مَوْلَی عُثْمَانَ اسْمُهُ تُرْکَانُ
جامع ترمذی · Hadith 1667
Narrated Abu Salih, the Freed slave of Uthman : I heard Uthman while on the Minbar saying: 'I did not inform you about a Hadith I had heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), out of dismay that you might part from me. Then it occurred to me that I should narrate to you so that one may choose from these matters accordingly. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: (Ribat) Guarding the frontier for a day in Allah's cause is beter in status than thousand days doing other than that.' [Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih Gharib. Muhammad bin Ism'ail said: Abu Salih, the freed slave of 'Uthman's name is Burkan.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020