Sunan an-Nasa'i 993
سنن النسائي#993Sahihأَخْبَرَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ، عَنِ ابْنِ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي هِلاَلٍ، أَنَّ أَبَا الرِّجَالِ، مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ حَدَّثَهُ عَنْ أُمِّهِ، عَمْرَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَعَثَ رَجُلاً عَلَى سَرِيَّةٍ فَكَانَ يَقْرَأُ لأَصْحَابِهِ فِي صَلاَتِهِمْ فَيَخْتِمُ بِـ { قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ } فَلَمَّا رَجَعُوا ذَكَرُوا ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " سَلُوهُ لأَىِّ شَىْءٍ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ " . فَسَأَلُوهُ فَقَالَ لأَنَّهَا صِفَةُ الرَّحْمَنِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَأَنَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَقْرَأَ بِهَا . قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَخْبِرُوهُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يُحِبُّهُ " .
It was narrated from Aishah that:The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent a man on a campaign, and he used to recite to his companions when leading them in prayer, and would conclude with 'Say: He is Allah, (the) One.' When they returned, they told the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about that. He said: "Ask them why he did that." So they asked him and he said: "Because it is a description of the Most Merciful, the Mighty and Sublime, and I love to recite it." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Tell him that Allah (SWT), the Mighty and Sublime, loves him
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:
In-book reference: 11:118