I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, "Which people hold the best rank with Allah?"He replied, "A man upon the back of his horse, striking fear into the enemy while they strike fear into him, and a man who establishes the prayer and gives the due of Allah from his wealth while tending to his small flock of sheep." And he gestured with his hand toward the Hijaz.
سألت رسول الله ﷺ أي الناس خير منزلة عند الله؟ فقال: رجل على متن فرسه يخيف العدو ويخيفونه، ورجل يقيم الصلاة، ويؤتي حق الله في ماله، وهو في غنيمة له وأشار بيده إلى الحجاز.
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Ibn Mubarak related it in Jihad (166), Ibn Rahawayh in his Musnad (2200), and Bayhaqi in Shuab (3986, Rushd edition), all of them through Ibn Uyayna, from Abdullah bin Abu Najeeh, from Mujahid, from Umm Mubashir, as I have mentioned it. Bayhaqi's version is abridged. Its chain of transmission is sahih, and it is possible that Mujahid met Umm Mubashir. I have not found anyone who denied that Mujahid heard from her, just as I have not found anyone who confirmed that he heard from her.As for Ibn Hajar, he said in Matalib (2047), "The hadith is mursal." In this he followed Mizzi, who said in the biographical entry on Umm Mubashir in Tahzib Kamal, "It is said that Mujahid's narration from Umm Mubashir is mursal," without identifying who said this.As for what was narrated from Abu Saeed Khudri, who said that during the year of Tabuk the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was addressing the people while leaning his back against his mount, and he said, "Shall I not tell you who are the best of people and who are the worst of people? Among the best of people is a man who strives in the path of Allah on the back of his horse, or on the back of his camel, or on his own feet, until death comes to him. And among the worst of people is a wicked man who reads the Book of Allah but pays no heed to any of it." This is daif. Nasai (3106), Ahmad (11319), Hakim (2/67-68), and through him Bayhaqi (9/160) related it through various routes from Layth bin Saad, who said, Yazid bin Abu Habib narrated to me, from Abu Khayr, from Abu Khattab, from Abu Saeed Khudri, as mentioned. Hakim said, "This is a hadith sahih in chain." I say, its chain contains Abu Khattab, who is the Egyptian, and in his biographical entry no narrator besides Abu Khayr Marthad bin Abdullah Yazani is mentioned as having narrated from him. Ibn Madini and Nasai said, "We do not know him," and Daraqutni said, "He is unknown."Likewise, what was narrated from Abu Saeed Khudri, from the Prophet ﷺ, who said, "The one who strives in the path of Allah is guaranteed by Allah, either Allah brings about his death and grants him His forgiveness and mercy, or Allah brings him back with reward and spoils. The one who strives in the path of Allah is like the one who fasts and prays and does not break his fast until he returns," does not hold up either, and its chain is daif. Ibn Majah (2754) related it from Abu Bakr Abu Shayba and Abu Kurayb, who both said, Ubaydullah bin Musa narrated to us, from Shayban, from Firas, from Atiya, from Abu Saeed, as mentioned. Its chain contains Atiya, who is Ibn Saad Awfi, and he is daif. Busiri faulted it for this reason in Misbah Zujaja (152/3). His statement "yakfituhu" means Allah gathers him to Himself.Likewise, what was narrated from Umm Malik Bahziyya as a marfu report does not hold up either, "The best of people during civil strife is a man who withdraws with his wealth, worships his Lord, and fulfills his due obligations, and a man who takes hold of the reins of his horse in the path of Allah, striking fear into the enemy while they strike fear into him." Ahmad (27353) and Tabarani in Kabir (25/150-151) related it through various routes from Layth bin Abu Salim, who said, Tawus narrated to me, from Umm Malik Bahziyya, as mentioned. Layth is daif. Tirmidhi (2177) related it through Muhammad bin Jahada, from a man, from Tawus, from Umm Malik Bahziyya, as mentioned. In it there is an unnamed man, and for this reason Tirmidhi said, "This is a hadith gharib by way of this route," meaning daif. It has been said that the unnamed man is Layth bin Abu Salim.Abdul-Razzaq (20760) and Naeem bin Hammad in Fitan (219, 511, 730), and Dani in Fitan (157) through the route of Ibn Mubarak, both of them (Abdul-Razzaq and Ibn Mubarak) related it from Maamar, from Ibn Tawus, from his father, mentioning something similar, and it is mursal. However, Hakim related it (4/446, 464) through the route of Dabari and Yahya bin Jafar, both of them from Abdul-Razzaq with his chain, and he added in it Ibn Abbas. It appears that an error occurred here, for the printed Musannaf of Abdul-Razzaq by way of Dabari's narration does not mention Ibn Abbas in it, and it agrees with the narration of Ibn Mubarak. So the correct position is that it is mursal.Tabarani related it in Musnad Shamiyin (1262, 3507) through the route of Suwayd bin Abdul-Aziz, from Numan bin Munzir, from Makhul, from Umm Malik, with something similar. Suwayd bin Abdul-Aziz is the Sulami, their freedman, and he is daif.