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.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī

The best of you before Islam are the best of you in Islam

bukhari:3493 – Isḥāq b. Ibrāhīm > Jarīr > ʿUmārah > Abū Zurʿah > Abū Hurayrah

from Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "You find that people are ˹like˺ minerals (hidden gems): those who were the best in the pre-Islamic period, are also the best in Islam, if they have ˹deep˺ understanding. You see that the best amongst the people in this respect (in positions of authority/leadership) are those who hate it most. And you see that the worst among the people is the two-faced ˹person˺ who appears to these with one face and others with another face."  

البخاري:٣٤٩٣ – حَدَّثَنِي إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ عُمَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «تَجِدُونَ النَّاسَ مَعَادِنَ خِيَارُهُمْ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ، خِيَارُهُمْ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ إِذَا فَقِهُوا؛ وَتَجِدُونَ خَيْرَ النَّاسِ فِي هَذَا الشَّأْنِ أَشَدَّهُمْ لَهُ كَرَاهِيَةً؛ وَتَجِدُونَ شَرَّ النَّاسِ ذَا الْوَجْهَيْنِ الَّذِي يَأْتِي هَؤُلاَءِ بِوَجْهٍ وَيَأْتِي هَؤُلاَءِ بِوَجْهٍ۔»  

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Muslim, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Suyūṭī
muslim:2526a – Ḥarmalah b. Yaḥyá > Ibn Wahb > Yūnus > Ibn Shihāb > Saʿīd b. al-Musayyab > Abū Hurayrah

You would find people like those of mine, the good amongst you in the Days of Ignorance would be good amongst you in the days of Islam, provided they have an understanding of it and you will find good amongst people the persons who would be averse to position of authority until it is thrust upon them, and you will find the worst amongst persons one who has double face. He comes with one face to them and with the other face to the others.  

مسلم:٢٥٢٦a – حَدَّثَنِي حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ حَدَّثَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ تَجِدُونَ النَّاسَ مَعَادِنَ فَخِيَارُهُمْ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ خِيَارُهُمْ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ إِذَا فَقُهُوا وَتَجِدُونَ مِنْ خَيْرِ النَّاسِ فِي هَذَا الأَمْرِ أَكْرَهُهُمْ لَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقَعَ فِيهِ وَتَجِدُونَ مِنْ شِرَارِ النَّاسِ ذَا الْوَجْهَيْنِ الَّذِي يَأْتِي هَؤُلاَءِ بِوَجْهٍ وَهَؤُلاَءِ بِوَجْهٍ  

ahmad:10791 – And Hb b. Jarīr from my father > Yūnus b. Yazīd al-Aylī > al-Zuhrī > Saʿīd b. al-Musayyib > Abū Hurayrah

You would find people like those of mine, the good amongst you in the Days of Ignorance would be good amongst you in the days of Islam, provided they have an understanding of it and you will find good amongst people the persons who would be averse to position of authority until it is thrust upon them, and you will find the worst amongst persons one who has double face. He comes with one face to them and with the other face to the others. (Using translation from Muslim 2526a)  

أحمد:١٠٧٩١ – حَدَّثَنَا وَهْبُ بْنُ جَرِيرٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي قَالَ سَمِعْتُ يُونُسَ بْنَ يَزِيدَ الْأَيْلِيَّ يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيِّبِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ تَجِدُونَ النَّاسَ مَعَادِنَ فَخِيَارُهُمْ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ خِيَارُهُمْ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ إِذَا فَقِهُوا وَتَجِدُونَ مِنْ خَيْرِ النَّاسِ فِي هَذَا الْأَمْرِ أَكْرَهَهُمْ لَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ فِيهِ وَتَجِدُونَ مِنْ شَرِّ النَّاسِ ذَا الْوَجْهَيْنِ الَّذِي يَأْتِي هَؤُلَاءِ بِوَجْهٍ وَهَؤُلَاءِ بِوَجْهٍ  

ذِكْرُ الْإِخْبَارِ بِأَنَّ ذَا الْوَجْهَيْنِ مِنَ النَّاسِ يَكُونُ مِنْ شِرَارِ النَّاسِ فِي يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ

ibnhibban:5757 – Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan b. Qutaybah > Ḥarmalah b. Yaḥyá > Ibn Wahb > Yūnus > Ibn Shihāb > Saʿīd b. al-Musayyib > Abū Hurayrah

You would find people like those of mine, the good amongst you in the Days of Ignorance would be good amongst you in the days of Islam, provided they have an understanding of it and you will find good amongst people the persons who would be averse to position of authority until it is thrust upon them, and you will find the worst amongst persons one who has double face. He comes with one face to them and with the other face to the others. (Using translation from Muslim 2526a)  

ابن حبّان:٥٧٥٧ – أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ قُتَيْبَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيِّبِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «تَجِدُونَ النَّاسَ مَعَادِنَ فَخِيَارُهُمْ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ خِيَارُهُمْ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ إِذَا فَقُهُوا وَتَجِدُونَ خَيْرَ النَّاسِ فِي هَذَا الْأَمْرِ أَكْرَهَهُمْ لَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقَعَ فِيهِ وَتَجِدُونَ مِنْ شَرِّ النَّاسِ ذَا الْوَجْهَيْنِ الَّذِي يَأْتِي هَؤُلَاءِ بِوَجْهٍ وَهَؤُلَاءِ بِوَجْهٍ»  

suyuti:12497a –
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السيوطي:١٢٤٩٧a –

"تَجدُونَ النَّاسَ مَعَادِنَ؛ فَخيَارُهُم فِي الجَاهِلِيَّةِ خيَارُهُمْ فِي الإِسْلام، إِذَا فَقُهُوا، وَتَجدُونَ خيرَ النَّاسِ فِي هَذَا الشَّأن أشَدَّهُمْ كَرَاهِيَةً (قَبلَ أنْ يَقَعَ) وَتَجدُونَ شَره النَّاسِ (يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ) عِنْدَ اللهِ ذَا الوَجْهَين؛ الَّذِي يَأتِي هَؤُلاءِ بوجْه، وَهَؤُلاءِ بوْجه".  

[حم] أحمد [خ] البخاري [م] مسلم عن أَبي هريرة