Sahih Muslim 4887
صحيح مسلم#4887Sahihحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ، بْنِ يَزِيدَ اللَّيْثِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَجُلٌ أَىُّ النَّاسِ أَفْضَلُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ " مُؤْمِنٌ يُجَاهِدُ بِنَفْسِهِ وَمَالِهِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ " . قَالَ ثُمَّ مَنْ قَالَ " ثُمَّ رَجُلٌ مُعْتَزِلٌ فِي شِعْبٍ مِنَ الشِّعَابِ يَعْبُدُ رَبَّهُ وَيَدَعُ النَّاسَ مِنْ شَرِّهِ " .
It has been narrated (through a diferent chain of transmetters) on the same authority (i. e. Abu Sa'id Khadri) who said:A man asked: Messenger of Allah, which of men is the best? He said: A believer who fights staking his life and spending his wealth in the way of Allah. He asked: Who is next to him (in excellence)? He said: Next to him is a man who lives an isolated life in a mountain gorge, worshipping his Lord and sparing men from his mischief
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:
Every narration in Sahih Muslim is accepted as Sahih (authentic) by the established status of the book.
In-book reference: 33:183