Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1329
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْمُنْذِرِ الْكُوفِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ، عَنْ فُضَيْلِ بْنِ مَرْزُوقٍ، عَنْ عَطِيَّةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ أَحَبَّ النَّاسِ إِلَى اللَّهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَأَدْنَاهُمْ مِنْهُ مَجْلِسًا إِمَامٌ عَادِلٌ وَأَبْغَضَ النَّاسِ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَأَبْعَدَهُمْ مِنْهُ مَجْلِسًا إِمَامٌ جَائِرٌ " . قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي أَوْفَى . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abū Saʿīd reported that the Messenger of Allah said: “The people most beloved to Allah and nearest to Him in station on the Day of Resurrection will be a just ruler, while the people most hated by Allah and farthest from Him in station will be an unjust ruler.” A report on this subject is also narrated from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Awfā. Abū ʿĪsā said: Abū Saʿīd’s hadith is ḥasan gharīb; we know it only through this chain.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
Imām here means a leader or ruler, rather than a prayer leader, given the justice context.