Jami at-Tirmidhi 1667
Jami at-Tirmidhi · Book 22: The Book on Virtues of Jihad · What Has Been Related About The Virtue Of The Garrisons
Narrated Abu Salih, the Freed slave of Uthman :
حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْخَلاَّلُ ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو عَقِيلٍ، زُهْرَةُ بْنُ مَعْبَدٍ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ ، مَوْلَى عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَفَّانَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عُثْمَانَ ، وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ يَقُولُ إِنِّي كَتَمْتُكُمْ حَدِيثًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَرَاهِيَةَ تَفَرُّقِكُمْ عَنِّي ثُمَّ بَدَا لِي أَنْ أُحَدِّثَكُمُوهُ لِيَخْتَارَ امْرُؤٌ لِنَفْسِهِ مَا بَدَا لَهُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " رِبَاطُ يَوْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ يَوْمٍ فِيمَا سِوَاهُ مِنَ الْمَنَازِلِ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ . وَقَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ أَبُو صَالِحٍ مَوْلَى عُثْمَانَ اسْمُهُ تُرْكَانُ .
"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."
Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)