Hadith #197
Arabic Text
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْن
ِ مُرَّةَ عَنْ أَبِي الْأَحْوَصِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ لَأَنْ أَحْلِفَ بِاللَّهِ تِسْعًا إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قُتِلَ قَتْلًا أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أَحْلِفَ وَاحِدَةً وَذَلِك بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ اتَّخَذَهُ نَبِيًّا وَجَعَلَهُ شَهِيدًا
Isnad Chain
English Translation
It was narrated from 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (رضي الله عنه) — via Abu Mu'awiya, from al-A'mash, from 'Abdullah ibn Murra, from Abi al-Ahwas — that 'Abdullah said: 'For me to swear nine times by Allah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ died as a martyr [qutila] is more beloved to me than to swear a single oath — and that is because Allah (عز وجل) chose him as a Prophet and made him a martyr [shahid].'
Quran References
Reference: Musnad Ahmad, Book 11, Hadith 197
Sunnah.com ref: Musnad Ahmad 3435
Islam.wiki ID: IWH-39825