Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
abudawud:2757Muḥammad b. al-Ṣabbāḥ al-Bazzāz > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Abū al-Zinād > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

Abu Hurarirah reported the Apostle of Allaah ﷺ as saying “A Muslim ruler is shield by which a battle is fought.”  

أبو داود:٢٧٥٧حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ الْبَزَّازُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّمَا الإِمَامُ جُنَّةٌ يُقَاتَلُ بِهِ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bayhaqī, Suyūṭī
bayhaqi:18816Abū ʿAlī al-Rūdhbārī > Abū Bakr b. Dāsah > Abū Dāwud > Muḥammad b. al-Ṣabbāḥ > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Abū al-Zinād > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

Abu Hurarirah reported the Apostle of Allaah ﷺ as saying “A Muslim ruler is shield by which a battle is fought.” (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2757)   

البيهقي:١٨٨١٦أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الرُّوذْبَارِيُّ أنبأ أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ دَاسَةَ ثنا أَبُو دَاوُدَ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ ثنا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّمَا الْإِمَامُ جُنَّةٌ يُقَاتَلُ بِهِ