Abu al-Ahwas reported: Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “For me to swear by Allah nine times that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, had been killed is more beloved to me than swearing once that he was not, for Allah Almighty appointed him as Prophet and took him as a martyr.”
Source: Musnad Aḥmad 4139
Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Arna’ut
عَنْ أَبِي الْأَحْوَصِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ لَأَنْ أَحْلِفَ تِسْعًا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قُتِلَ قَتْلًا أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أَحْلِفَ وَاحِدَةً أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُقْتَلْ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ جَعَلَهُ نَبِيًّا وَاتَّخَذَهُ شَهِيدًا
4139 مسند أحمد بن حنبل
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