948 — “The best of people are those whose hearts are pure and whose tongues are truthful.” They said, “We know what a truthful tongue is, but what is a pure heart?” He said, “It is the heart of one who is pious and pure, containing neither sin nor transgression, rancour, nor envy.”

Ibn Majah (4216) and Ibn ‘Asakir (17/29/2) narrated it through two routes from Yahya ibn Hamzah, who said: Zayd ibn Waqid narrated to me, from Mughith ibn Sumayy al-Awza‘i, from ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr, who said: “It was said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, which people are best?’ He said: ‘Everyone whose heart is pure ...’”

I say: This is an authentic chain of transmission; its narrators are trustworthy. Al-Qasim ibn Musa also corroborated him, narrating it from Zayd ibn Waqid through the same chain. Ibn ‘Asakir narrated it and said: “Sadaqah ibn Khalid likewise narrated it from Zayd.”

I say: Ibn ‘Asakir added, through the route of al-Qasim ibn Musa—and in one of the two routes from Yahya ibn Hamzah—that they said: “Who comes next after him, O Messenger of Allah?” He said, “The one who detests worldly life and loves the Hereafter.” They said, “We know no one among us fitting this description except Rafi‘, the Messenger of Allah’s freedman.” They said, “Then who comes next after him?” He said, “A believer of good character.”

Al-Suyuti attributed this addition in Ziyadat al-Jami‘ al-Saghir to Ibn Majah, but it is not found in his work, as I have seen. In al-Jami‘ al-Kabir, however, he attributed it to al-Hakim, al-Tabarani, Abu Nu‘aym in al-Hilyah, and al-Bayhaqi in al-Shu‘ab. It therefore appears that the addition is found in their works, or at least in some of them.