The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Among the servants of Allah are people whom the prophets and martyrs will envy, though they are neither prophets nor martyrs."We said, "Messenger of Allah, tell us who they are so we may love them."He replied, "They are people who love one another for the sake of Allah, without ties of kinship between them and without wealth exchanged among them. They will not be afraid when others are afraid, nor will they grieve when others grieve."Then he recited, "Indeed, the friends of Allah will have no fear, nor will they grieve" [Yunus 10:62].
قال رسول الله ﷺ: إن من عباد الله ناسا يغبطهم الأنبياء والشهداء، ما هم بأنبياء ولا شهداء، قال: قلنا: يا رسول الله اذكرهم لنا، فإنا نحبهم قال: هم المتحابون في الله على غير أرحام، ولا أموال يتعاطونها بينهم لا يفزعون إذا فزع الناس، ولا يحزنون إذا حزنوا ثم تلا: {ألا إن أولياء الله لا خوف عليهم ولا هم يحزنون}
Hannad narrated it in Zuhd (475), from Ishaq Razi, from Abu Sinan, from Umar bin Murrah, from Talq, from Umar bin Khattab, and he related it. Talq is Ibn Habib Anazi Basri, trustworthy in his hadith, though a Murjite in his doctrine, and his narration from Umar omits a link in the chain, as Alai said in Marasil.However, Abu Dawud (3527), Ibn Jareer in his Tafsir (211/12), and Bayhaqi in Shuab al-Iman (8585) all narrated it through another route, from Abu Zura bin Amr bin Jareer, from Umar bin Khattab, and he related it. But Abu Zura never met Umar bin Khattab.The hadith, taken together through these two chains, rises to the level of hasan, for each one strengthens the other, since neither contains anyone accused of lying.As for his saying, "The prophets envy them," this is a form of emphasis regarding the exalted station they attained, not that they are more excellent or higher in rank than the prophets.