أَخْبَرَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ خَالِدٍ، ثَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ يُونُسَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ عُمَارَةَ، وَمَالِكِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: ‌الْقَصْدُ ‌فِي ‌السُّنَّةِ ‌خَيْرٌ ‌مِنَ ‌الاِجْتِهَادِ ‌فِي ‌الْبِدْعَةِ

Book: The Introduction
Chapter [23]: Dislike of taking [giving precedence to] opinions

Ḥadīth [217]: It is narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas’ūd (may Allāh be pleased with him) that he said: ‘Having an intention to act upon the sunnah is better than striving in innovation.’

Reference: Sunan ad-Dārimī (217 (1/51))

• Al-Ibānatul Kubrā (161 (1/89); 178-179 (1/94); 201 (1/99); and 246 (1/111))
• Jāmi’ Bayān al-‘Ilm wa-Faḍlihi (2334 (2/1179))
• Imām Aḥmad’s az-Zuhd (873 (1/203))

Grade:

• Isnād ṣaḥīḥ by Sayyid ‘Imrān (Al-Ibānatul Kubrā, published by Dārul Ḥadīth)
• Ṣaḥīḥ by Abū al-Ashbāl az-Zuhayrī (Jāmi’ Bayān al-‘Ilm wa-Faḍlihi, published by Dar ibn al-Jawzi)
• Isnād jayyid by Shaykh ‘Abdul-Mannān Rāsikh (223 (1/191); Sunan ad-Dārimī, published by Ansarus Sunnah Publications, Lahore)