How authentic is the Hadith: "Marry strangers," and is endogamy discouraged in Islamic law?

No authentic hadiths have been reported from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that encourage marrying strangers or those from distant relations. The hadiths mentioned in this regard are weak or have no basis. Some scholars have gone so far as to recommend marrying a foreign woman due to what they perceive as less passion within kinship, or that her child would be more distinguished, or out of fear of animosity arising. However, this ruling has not been agreed upon by jurists, as some have cited the Prophet’s action, peace and blessings be upon him, as evidence for the permissibility of marrying relatives, since he married his daughter Fatimah to his paternal cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib. The correct view is that the matter is one of choice: whoever wishes to marry a relative may do so, and whoever wishes to marry a stranger may also do so. The important thing is to seek out the righteous, religious woman, whether she is a relative or not.