Sahih al-Bukhari 7554
صحيح البخاري#7554Sahihحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي غَالِبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعْتَمِرٌ، سَمِعْتُ أَبِي يَقُولُ، حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ، أَنَّ أَبَا رَافِعٍ، حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّهُ، سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَتَبَ كِتَابًا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ الْخَلْقَ إِنَّ رَحْمَتِي سَبَقَتْ غَضَبِي. فَهْوَ مَكْتُوبٌ عِنْدَهُ فَوْقَ الْعَرْشِ ".
Narrated Abu Hurairah (ra):I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying: "Before Allah created the creations, He wrote a Book (wherein He has written): "My Mercy has preceded my Anger.' And that is written with Him over the Throne." (see Hadith)
Scholarly Authentication
The label above is the grade most of these scholars gave — one dissenting opinion no longer speaks for all of them. If any scholar calls a narration fabricated, that verdict is shown instead, whatever the others say. Each scholar's own wording:
Every narration in Sahih al-Bukhari is accepted as Sahih (authentic) by the established status of the book.
In-book reference: 97:179