- (The most honorable of people: those who are most pious towards Allāh). Narrated by al-Bukhārī (3383, 3490, 4689), Muslim (7/103), al-Baghawī in "Sharḥ al-Sunnah" (13/125), and Aḥmad (2/431), all through the route of Saʿīd ibn Abī Saʿīd (some added: from his father) from Abū Hurayrah (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu): The Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) was asked: Who is the most honorable of people? He said: "Those who are most pious towards Allāh." They said: We are not asking about this. He said: "Then the most honorable of people is Yūsuf, the Prophet of Allāh, son of the Prophet of Allāh, son of the Prophet of Allāh, son of the Friend of Allāh." They said: We are not asking about this. He said: "Are you asking me about the origins of the Arabs? People are like minerals; the best of them in the pre-Islamic period are the best of them in Islam, if they gain understanding." Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr followed him: narrated to us by Abū Salamah from Abū Hurayrah in a marfūʿ form with the wording: "Indeed, the noble one, son of the noble one, son of the noble one, son of the noble one: Yūsuf son of Yaʿqūb son of Isḥāq son of Ibrāhīm, the Friend of the Merciful." Narrated by Aḥmad (2/332, 416). I say: Its isnād is good. It is supported by the ḥadīth of Ibn ʿUmar (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu) from the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) that he said: ... and he mentioned it similarly. Narrated by al-Bukhārī (3382, 3390, 4688), and Aḥmad (2/96)