The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Do not boast of your forefathers who died in the age of ignorance. By the One in whose hand my soul rests, what the dung beetle rolls along with its nose is better than those forefathers of yours who died in the age of ignorance."
قال رسول الله ﷺ: لا تفتخروا بآبائكم الذين ماتوا في الجاهلية، فوالذي نفسه بيده لما يدهده الجعل عن منخريه خير من آبائكم الذين ماتوا في الجاهلية.
Abu Dawud Tayalisi (2804) narrated it, and through his route Ahmad (2739) and Ibn Hibban (5775), from Hisham Dastawai, from Ayub Sakhtiyani, from Ikrima, from Ibn Abbas, who related it. Its isnad is sahih.As for his words "they died," in another narration it reads "they were made to die in the Jahiliyyah," with the waw doubled, in the passive form. It is said, "Allah amatahu" (caused him to die) and "mawwatahu" (made him die).