Is there a prophetic Hadith stating, "The best of my Ummah are in the cities," and what is its meaning or intent?

No Hadith with the exact wording "Badawah is jafaa'" (nomadic life is harshness) has been narrated. However, the original meaning is supported by the Prophet's saying, peace and blessings be upon him: "He who settles in the desert becomes harsh" (Narrated by Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, and An-Nasa'i, and authenticated by Al-Albani), meaning he becomes ignorant and hard-hearted.

This is further supported by Allah the Almighty's saying: "The Bedouins are worse in disbelief and hypocrisy and more apt not to know the limits of what Allah has revealed to His Messenger" (At-Tawbah: 97). This is due to their distance from religious laws and their limited interaction with people, which makes their nature closer to savagery and more avaricious.

However, this does not mean that all desert dwellers are like this, for some among them are better than city dwellers, as Allah the Almighty said: "But among the Bedouins are some who believe in Allah and the Last Day and consider what they spend as means of closeness to Allah and the prayers of the Messenger. Unquestionably, it is a means of closeness for them. Allah will admit them to His mercy. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful" (At-Tawbah: 99).

Ibn Taymiyyah held that the general category of city dwellers is superior to that of desert dwellers, even if some prominent desert dwellers are better than most city dwellers. He also believed that whatever characterized desert dwellers exclusively, distinct from city dwellers during the time of the Salaf (early Muslims), was considered deficient in virtue or disliked.