Sunan an-Nasa'i
Sunan an-Nasa'i 3169
أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ زَهْرَةَ بْنِ مَعْبَدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو صَالِحٍ، مَوْلَى عُثْمَانَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عُثْمَانَ بْنَ عَفَّانَ، رضى الله عنه يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " رِبَاطُ يَوْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ يَوْمٍ فِيمَا سِوَاهُ مِنَ الْمَنَازِلِ " .
Amr ibn Mansur informed us; he said: Abd Allah ibn Yusuf narrated to us; he said: al-Layth narrated to us, from Zahrah ibn Mabid, who said: Abu Salih, the client of Uthman, narrated to me; he said: I heard Uthman ibn Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, say: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: One day of being stationed in the cause of Allah is better than a thousand days spent elsewhere.
Translation notes
The comparison is between one day of ribat in Allah’s cause and one thousand days in other places.