I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ standing at al-Hazwarah, and he said, "By Allah, you are the best of Allah's lands and the most beloved of Allah's lands to Allah. Had I not been driven out of you, I would never have left."
حدثنا قتيبة حدثنا الليث عن عقيل عن الزهري عن أبي سلمة
رأيت رسول الله ﷺ واقفا على الحزورة فقال والله إنك لخير أرض الله وأحب أرض الله إلى الله ولولا أني أخرجت منك ما خرجت
[Sahih]. Ibn Majah also narrated it in "Rites," chapter "The Merit of Makkah," no. 3108, from the hadith of Abu Salama, with the same wording. Ibn Hibban graded it sahih (Ihsan) 3700, and Hakim did so according to the criterion of the two Shaykhs, 7/3, and Dhahabi agreed with him. The hadith has other routes.The hadith of Yunus [I could not find it].Zuhri narrated it from Abu Salama from Abu Hurairah, with the same wording, and Ahmad, 305/4, and Nasai in al-Kubra, no. 4254.