Sunan Abi Dawud 5197
سنن أبي داود#5197Sahihحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى بْنِ فَارِسٍ الذُّهْلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي خَالِدٍ، وَهْبٍ عَنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ الْحِمْصِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِاللَّهِ مَنْ بَدَأَهُمْ بِالسَّلاَمِ " .
Narrated AbuUmamah: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Those who are nearest to Allah are they who are first to give a salutation
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
Muhammad Muhyi Al-Din Abdul HamidSahih
Zubair Ali ZaiIsnaad Sahih
In-book reference: 43:425