Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3658
جامع الترمذي#3658Sahihحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ، عَنْ سَالِمِ بْنِ أَبِي حَفْصَةَ، وَالأَعْمَشِ، وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ صُهْبَانَ، وَابْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، وَكَثِيرٍ النَّوَّاءِ، كُلِّهِمْ عَنْ عَطِيَّةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ أَهْلَ الدَّرَجَاتِ الْعُلَى لَيَرَاهُمْ مَنْ تَحْتَهُمْ كَمَا تَرَوْنَ النَّجْمَ الطَّالِعَ فِي أُفُقِ السَّمَاءِ وَإِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَأَنْعَمَا " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ مِنْ غَيْرِ وَجْهٍ عَنْ عَطِيَّةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ .
Narrated Abu Sa'eed:that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Indeed the people of the higher levels, will be seen by those who are beneath them like the stars which appear far off in the sky. And indeed Abu Bakr and 'Umar are among them, and they have done well
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: 49:54