Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا رَوْحٌ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ خِيَارُ النَّاسِ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ خِيَارُهُمْ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ إِذَا فَقِهُوا.
English Translation
Rawh told us, Ibn Jurayj told us, Abu al-Zubayr informed me, that he heard Jabir ibn Abdullah say: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: The best of people in the pre-Islamic era are the best of them in Islam, if they gain understanding of the religion.