The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The killing of a believer is greater before Allah than the passing away of this world."
قال رسول الله ﷺ: قتل المؤمن أعظم عند الله من زوال الدنيا.
Nasai (3990) narrated it from Hasan bin Ishaq Marwazi, trustworthy, who said, "Khalid bin Khidash narrated to me, he said, Hatim bin Ismail narrated to us, from Bashir bin Muhajir, from Abdullah bin Burayda, from his father," and he related it.Its isnad is hasan due to the discussion regarding Bashir bin Muhajir Kufi Ghanawi, for there is disagreement about him, though his hadith is hasan when supported by corroborating narrations. Khalid bin Khidash and Hatim bin Ismail also have hasan hadith, though there is minor criticism of both of them.Among its corroborating narrations is what was reported from Abdullah bin Amr, "The passing away of this world is less significant to Allah than the killing of a Muslim man." This has been reported both as marfu and as mawquf. As for the marfu version, Tirmidhi (1395) and Nasai (3987) both narrated it through the hadith of Ibn Abu Adi, from Shuba, from Yaala bin Ata, from his father, from Abdullah bin Amr, from the Prophet ﷺ, and he related it. As for the mawquf version, Muhammad bin Jafar narrated it from Shuba with his isnad, without raising it to the Prophet. Tirmidhi (1395m) and Nasai (3988) also narrated it through his route. Tirmidhi said, "This is more sahih than the hadith of Ibn Abu Adi (from Shuba)," end quote.The hadith has another isnad, namely what Nasai (3986) narrated from Muhammad bin Muawiya bin Malij, who said, "Muhammad bin Salama Harrani narrated to us, from Ibn Ishaq, from Ibrahim bin Muhajir, from Ismail the freedman of Abdullah bin Amr, from Abdullah bin Amr bin As, from the Prophet ﷺ," who said, "By the One in whose hand is my soul, the killing of a believer is more serious in the sight of Allah than the passing away of this world." Nasai said, "Ibrahim bin Muhajir is not strong."Ibn Abu Hatim said in his Ilal (2/423), "I asked my father and Abu Zura about a hadith narrated by Hakam bin Musa, from Muhammad bin Salama, from Ibn Ishaq, from Ibrahim bin Muhajir, from Ismail the freedman of Abdullah bin Amr, from Abdullah bin Amr," and he related the hadith. They both said, "This is how Hakam narrated it, but the Harranis insert Hasan bin Umara between Ibn Ishaq and Ibrahim bin Muhajir," end quote. Hasan bin Umara's hadith is discarded.Among its corroborating narrations is what was reported from Bara bin Azib, marfu, "The passing away of this world is less significant to Allah than the killing of a believer without right." Ibn Abu Asim narrated it in Diyat (7), Ibn Adi in Kamil (3/1004), and Bayhaqi in Shuab al-Iman (4/345), all through the hadith of Hisham bin Ammar, from Walid bin Muslim, who said, "Rawh bin Jinah narrated to us, from Abu Jahm Juzjani, from Bara bin Azib," and he related it. Rawh bin Jinah Umawi, their freedman, there is disagreement about him. Darimi deemed him trustworthy, while Nasai and others deemed him daif. Ibn Hibban said, "His hadith is extremely objectionable." In Taqrib, he is daif, and Ibn Hibban accused him of fabrication.Ibn Majah (2619) erred, putting in his place his brother "Marwan bin Jinah," who is in a better state than his brother. For this reason, Munziri graded it hasan in Targhib wa Tarhib (3709), and Ibn Mulaqqin said in Badr Munir (8/348), "Ibn Majah narrated it with a sahih isnad." Busiri said in Zawaid Ibn Majah, "Its isnad is sahih, its narrators are trustworthy." Based on their statements, I graded it sahih in Aqdiyat Rasul Allah ﷺ (1/88), so take note.Asbahani narrated it in Targhib wa Tarhib (3/187) with another isnad from Bara bin Azib, adding at the end, "If the people of His heavens and the people of His earth were to share in the blood of a believer, Allah would admit them all into the Fire." It contains narrators who are unknown.As for what was reported from Abu Saeed Khudri and Abu Hurairah, both relating from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who said, "If the people of the heavens and the earth were to share in the blood of a believer, Allah would cast them headlong into the Fire," this is daif. Tirmidhi (1398) narrated it from Husayn bin Hurayth, who said, "Fadl bin Musa narrated to us, from Husayn bin Waqid, from Yazid Raqashi, who said, 'Abu Hakam Bajali narrated to us, who said, I heard Abu Saeed and Abu Hurairah,'" and they both related it. Tirmidhi said, "This is a rare hadith," meaning daif. For it contains Yazid Raqashi, who is bin Aban the storyteller, daif by the agreement of the scholars, though he was ascetic, a preacher, and given to weeping.On this subject there is also what was reported with the wording, "Whoever assists in the killing of a Muslim, even with half a word, will meet Allah with it written between his eyes, 'Despaired of the mercy of Allah,'" reported from Ibn Abbas, Abu Hurairah, and Umar bin Khattab, and all of these are defective. See their sourcing in Badr Munir (8/348–350).