Sunan Abi Dawud 4617
سنن أبي داود#4617Sahihحَدَّثَنَا هِلاَلُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي حُمَيْدٌ، قَالَ كَانَ الْحَسَنُ يَقُولُ لأَنْ يُسْقَطَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَنْ يَقُولَ الأَمْرُ بِيَدِي .
Humaid said:Al-Hasan used to say that his fall from the heaven on the earth is dearer to him than uttering: The matter is in my hand
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-AlbaniSahih Isnaad Maqtu
Muhammad Muhyi Al-Din Abdul HamidSahih Isnaad Maqtu
Zubair Ali ZaiDaif
In-book reference: 42:22