Sunan Abi Dawud 1679
سنن أبي داود#1679Hasanحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا هَمَّامٌ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ، أَنَّ سَعْدًا، أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ أَىُّ الصَّدَقَةِ أَعْجَبُ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ " الْمَاءُ " .
Sa’id reported Sa’d came to the Prophet (SWAS) and asked him Which sadaqah do you like most? He replied Water
Scholarly Authentication
The label above is the grade most of these scholars gave — one dissenting opinion no longer speaks for all of them. If any scholar calls a narration fabricated, that verdict is shown instead, whatever the others say. Each scholar's own wording:
Al-AlbaniHasan
Zubair Ali ZaiDaif
In-book reference: 9:124