حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ حَدَّثَنَا حِبَّانُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ حَدَّثَنَا عُقَيْلُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَيْرُ الْأَصْحَابِ أَرْبَعَةٌ وَخَيْرُ السَّرَايَا أَرْبَعُ مِائَةٍ وَخَيْرُ الْجُيُوشِ أَرْبَعَةُ آلَافٍ قَالَ وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَنْ يُغْلَبَ قَوْمٌ عَنْ قِلَّةٍ يَبْلُغُونَ أَنْ يَكُونُوا اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ أَلْفًا
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 2718
It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "The best number for companionship is four, the best number for an expedition is four hundred and the best number for an army is four thousand.” And the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "People will never be defeated due to being too few in number if their number reaches twelve thousand.”
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020