كتاب الإمارة
33  
The Book on Government
(34)
Chapter: The virtue of Jihad and keeping watch over the frontier
(34)
باب فَضْلِ الْجِهَادِ وَالرِّبَاطِ ‏‏
Sahih Muslim 1889 a

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

Of the men he lives the best life who holds the reins of his horse (ever ready to march) in the way of Allah, flies on its back whenever he hears a fearful shriek, or a call for help, flies to it seeking death at places where it can be expected. (Next to him) is a man who lives with his sheep at a hill-top or in a valley, says his prayers regularly, gives Zakat and worships his Lord until death comes to him. There is no better person among men except these two.
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى التَّمِيمِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ بَعْجَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ قَالَ ‏ "‏ مِنْ خَيْرِ مَعَاشِ النَّاسِ لَهُمْ رَجُلٌ مُمْسِكٌ عِنَانَ فَرَسِهِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ يَطِيرُ عَلَى مَتْنِهِ كُلَّمَا سَمِعَ هَيْعَةً أَوْ فَزْعَةً طَارَ عَلَيْهِ يَبْتَغِي الْقَتْلَ وَالْمَوْتَ مَظَانَّهُ أَوْ رَجُلٌ فِي غُنَيْمَةٍ فِي رَأْسِ شَعَفَةٍ مِنْ هَذِهِ الشَّعَفِ أَوْ بَطْنِ وَادٍ مِنْ هَذِهِ الأَوْدِيَةِ يُقِيمُ الصَّلاَةَ وَيُؤْتِي الزَّكَاةَ وَيَعْبُدُ رَبَّهُ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَهُ الْيَقِينُ لَيْسَ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِلاَّ فِي خَيْرٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1889a
In-book reference : Book 33, Hadith 185
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 20, Hadith 4655
  (deprecated numbering scheme)