Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1329
جامع الترمذي#1329Da'ifحَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْمُنْذِرِ الْكُوفِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ، عَنْ فُضَيْلِ بْنِ مَرْزُوقٍ، عَنْ عَطِيَّةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ أَحَبَّ النَّاسِ إِلَى اللَّهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَأَدْنَاهُمْ مِنْهُ مَجْلِسًا إِمَامٌ عَادِلٌ وَأَبْغَضَ النَّاسِ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَأَبْعَدَهُمْ مِنْهُ مَجْلِسًا إِمَامٌ جَائِرٌ " . قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي أَوْفَى . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ .
Abu Sa'eed narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:"Indeed, the most beloved of people to Allah on the Day of Judgement, and the nearest to Him in the status is the just Imam. And the most hated of people to Allah and the furthest from Him in status is the oppressive Imam
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: 15:9