Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1660
جامع الترمذي#1660Sahihحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَمَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنِ الأَوْزَاعِيِّ، حَدَّثَنَا الزُّهْرِيُّ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ اللَّيْثِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَىُّ النَّاسِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ " رَجُلٌ يُجَاهِدُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ " . قَالُوا ثُمَّ مَنْ قَالَ " ثُمَّ مُؤْمِنٌ فِي شِعْبٍ مِنَ الشِّعَابِ يَتَّقِي رَبَّهُ وَيَدَعُ النَّاسَ مِنْ شَرِّهِ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .
Narrated Abu Sa’id Al Khudri : that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked: "Which of the people are most virtuous?" He said: "A man who take part in Jihad in Allah's cause." They said: "Then whom?" He said: "Then a believer who stays in one of the mountains path out of Taqwa for his Lord, leaving the people secure from his evil." [Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih
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: 22:43