Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The best number of companions is four, the best number in expeditions four hundred, and the best number in armies four thousand; and twelve thousand will not be overcome through smallness of numbers. Abu Dawud said: What is correct is that this tradition is mursal (i.e. the link of the Companion is missing).
حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ أَبُو خَيْثَمَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا وَهْبُ بْنُ جَرِيرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي قَالَ، سَمِعْتُ يُونُسَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ
خَيْرُ الصَّحَابَةِ أَرْبَعَةٌ وَخَيْرُ السَّرَايَا أَرْبَعُمِائَةٍ وَخَيْرُ الْجُيُوشِ أَرْبَعَةُ آلاَفٍ وَلَنْ يُغْلَبَ اثْنَا عَشَرَ أَلْفًا مِنْ قِلَّةٍ
. قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالصَّحِيحُ أَنَّهُ مُرْسَلٌ .
Isnad
7 transmitters- 1Zuhayr bin HarbNisa'/Baghdad · d. 234 AH/848 CE
- 2Wahb bin Jarir bin Hazim bin Zaydal-Basra · d. 206 AH
- 3Jarir bin Hazim bin Zaydal-Basra · d. 170 AH/786 CE
- 4Yonus bin Yazid bin Abi al-Nijadd. 160 AH
- 5al-ZuhriMedinah/Syria · d. 124 AH/741 CE
- 6'Ubaydullah bin 'Abdullah bin 'UtbaMedinah · d. 94 AH/715 CE or 97 AH
- 7ibn AbbasMakkah/Medina · d. 68 AH/687 CE
References2 variants
- In-Book Reference
- Book 15, Hadith 135
- English Reference
- Book 14, Hadith 2605