The Sufficient (Vol 2) · Hadith 2178 (#Ḥadīth #3)

3ـ وَبِهَذَا الإسْنَادِ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِالله وَبِرَسُولِهِ مَنْ بَدَأَ بِالسَّلامِ.

3. Through the same chain of narrators it is narrated from Abu ‘Abdillah who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘A person who is closer to Allah and His Messenger is the one who initiates the offering of the greeting of peace.’”

Gradings are classical jarḥ-wa-taʿdīl, name-matched to a rijāl index (not individually re-verified).