The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "People are like ores. You will find that the best of them in the days of ignorance are the best of them in Islam, once they gain understanding of the religion."
حدثنا يزيد أخبرنا محمد عن أبي الزناد عن الأعرج
قال رسول الله ﷺ الناس معادن تجدون خيارهم في الجاهلية خيارهم في الإسلام إذا فقهوا
Its isnad is sahih. Bukhari related it, 6:385-386, as part of a hadith, through the route of Mughira Hizami, from Abu Zinad. Muslim likewise related it, 2:269, at greater length, through the route of Mughira and others. Ibn Hibban related it in his Sahih, 92 in our edition, from the narration of Muhammad bin Sirin from Abu Hurairah, and we pointed there to some of its other narrations, among them this one.Maadin (mines/origins). The Hafiz said in Fath, meaning different origins. Al-maadin is the plural of madin, which is something fixed in the earth, sometimes precious and sometimes base. People are likewise so.Faqihu, with the qaf vocalized with damma, though it may also be vocalized with kasra. Ibn Athir said, one says "faqiha the man," with kasra, yafqahu, fiqhan, meaning he understood and knew. And "faqaha," with damma, yafqahu, meaning he became a jurist, learned. Common usage has made it specific to knowledge of the sacred law.