"I heard Uthman while on the Minbar saying: 'I did not inform you about a Hadith I had heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, out of dismay that you might part from me. Then it occurred to me that I should narrate to you so that one may choose from these matters accordingly. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying: "(Ribat) Guarding the frontier for a day in Allah's cause is beter in status than thousand days doing other than that.'"  

سَمِعْتُ عُثْمَانَ وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ يَقُولُ إِنِّي كَتَمْتُكُمْ حَدِيثًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَرَاهِيَةَ تَفَرُّقِكُمْ عَنِّي ثُمَّ بَدَا لِي أَنْ أُحَدِّثَكُمُوهُ لِيَخْتَارَ امْرُؤٌ لِنَفْسِهِ مَا بَدَا لَهُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ رِبَاطُ يَوْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ يَوْمٍ فِيمَا سِوَاهُ مِنَ الْمَنَازِلِ  

I heard ʿUthman ؓ say on the minbar: O people, I concealed from you a hadeeth that I heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for fear that you would scatter away from me, then I thought that I should tell it to you, and let each one choose for himself what he thinks is best. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ʿGuarding the border for one day for the sake of Allah is better than a thousand other days doing other deeds.” ʿAbdullah bin ‘Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Dhubab narrated... A similar hadeeth]  

قَالَسَمِعْتُ عُثْمَانَ يَقُولُ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي كَتَمْتُكُمْ حَدِيثًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ كَرَاهِيَةَ تَفَرُّقِكُمْ عَنِّي ثُمَّ بَدَا لِي الْآنَ أَنْ أُحَدِّثَكُمُوهُ لِيَخْتَارَ امْرُؤٌ لِنَفْسِهِ مَا بَدَا لَهُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ رِبَاطُ يَوْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ يَوْمٍ فِيمَا سِوَاهُ مِنَ الْمَنَازِلِ  

I heard ʿUthman ؓ say on the minbar: O people, I concealed from you a hadeeth that I heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for fear that you would scatter away from me, then I thought that I should tell it to you, and let each one choose for himself what he thinks is best. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ʿGuarding the border for one day for the sake of Allah is better than a thousand other days doing other deeds.ʿ  

قَالَسَمِعْتُ عُثْمَانَ يَقُولُ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي كَتَمْتُكُمْ حَدِيثًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ كَرَاهِيَةَ تَفَرُّقِكُمْ عَنِّي ثُمَّ بَدَا لِي أَنْ أُحَدِّثَكُمُوهُ لِيَخْتَارَ امْرُؤٌ لِنَفْسِهِ مَا بَدَا لَهُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ رِبَاطُ يَوْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ يَوْمٍ فِيمَا سِوَاهُ مِنَ الْمَنَازِلِ  

I heard ʿUthman ؓ say on the minbar: O people, I concealed from you a hadeeth that I heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for fear that you would scatter away from me, then I thought that I should tell it to you, and let each one choose for himself what he thinks is best. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ʿGuarding the border for one day for the sake of Allah is better than a thousand other days doing other deeds.ʿ (Using translation from Aḥmad 470)  

سَمِعْتُ عُثْمَانَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ إِنِّي كُنْتُ كَتَمْتُكُمْ حَدِيثًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَرَاهِيَةَ تَفَرُّقِكُمْ عَنِّي ثُمَّ بَدَا لِي أَنْ أُحَدِّثَكُمُوهُ لِيَخْتَارَ امْرُؤٌ لِنَفْسِهِ مَا بَدَا لَهُ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «رِبَاطُ يَوْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ يَوْمٍ فِيمَا سِوَاهُ مِنَ الْمَنَازِلِ»