I said, "Messenger of Allah, which people are tested most severely?"He replied, "The prophets, then those who most resemble them, then those who most resemble them. A person is tested according to the strength of his faith. If his faith is firm, his trial is severe, and if there is weakness in his faith, he is tested accordingly. Trials continue to afflict the servant until they leave him walking upon the earth with no sin remaining upon him."
قلت: يا رسول الله! أي الناس أشد بلاء؟ قال: الأنبياء، ثم الأمثل فالأمثل، فيبتلى الرجل على حسب دينه، فإن كان دينه صلبا اشتد بلاؤه، وإن كان في دينه رقة ابتلي يبرح البلاء بالعبد حتى يتركه يمشي على الأرض على حسب، دينه فما ما عليه خطيئة.
Tirmidhi (2398) and Ibn Majah (4023) both narrated it through the route of Hammad bin Zayd, from Asim, from Musab bin Saad, from his father Saad bin Abu Waqqas, mentioning something similar, and their wording is identical. Tirmidhi said, "Hasan sahih." I say, its chain is hasan only, because Asim, who is Ibn Bahdala, is hasan al-hadith. Imam Ahmad (1481) narrated it through his route, and Ibn Hibban (2900) graded it sahih.However, Hakim said (1/40-41), "The hadith of Asim bin Bahdala, from Musab bin Saad, from his father, has routes that can be followed and studied together. Ala bin Musayab corroborated Asim bin Bahdala in his narration from Musab bin Saad." Then he traced it through his route, with this wording, "The Prophet ﷺ was asked, 'Which people are most severely tested?' He said, 'The prophets, then those most similar to them, then those most similar to them. If a man's religion is firm, he is tested according to the strength of his religion. So whoever has thicker faith has thicker trials.'" And he said, "This is a hadith that is sahih according to the standard of the two Shaykhs." Then he traced the hadith of Asim from Musab bin Saad, from his father, through many routes.I say, however, Ibn Hibban narrated it in his Sahih (2920) through another route, from Ala bin Musayab, from his father, from Saad, in a similar manner. Musayab here is Ibn Rafi, who did not hear from Saad.As for his saying, "those most similar, then those most similar," it means those highest in rank and status, one after another. It is said, "This one is amthal than that one," meaning more excellent, and "the amthal of the people" means the best of them.The conclusion regarding the hadith of this chapter is that the trials of the prophets, Allah's blessings be upon them, were not meant to erase their sins, since they have no sins, but rather to raise their ranks with Allah.See the meaning of this in Tahawi's Mushkil al-Athar (5/456).