حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَی الْأَزْدِيُّ الْبَصْرِيُّ وَأَبُو عَمَّارٍ وَغَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا وَهْبُ بْنُ جَرِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَيْرُ الصَّحَابَةِ أَرْبَعَةٌ وَخَيْرُ السَّرَايَا أَرْبَعُ مِائَةٍ وَخَيْرُ الْجُيُوشِ أَرْبَعَةُ آلَافٍ وَلَا يُغْلَبُ اثْنَا عَشَرَ أَلْفًا مِنْ قِلَّةٍ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ لَا يُسْنِدُهُ کَبِيرُ أَحَدٍ غَيْرُ جَرِيرِ بْنِ حَازِمٍ وَإِنَّمَا رُوِيَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ عَنْ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مُرْسَلًا وَقَدْ رَوَاهُ حِبَّانُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْعَنَزِيُّ عَنْ عُقَيْلٍ عَنْ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَرَوَاهُ اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ عَنْ عُقَيْلٍ عَنْ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مُرْسَلًا
جامع ترمذی · Hadith 1555
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: That the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The best companions are four, the best Saraya (military unit) is four hundred, the best army is four thousand, and twelve thousand will not be beaten due to being too few. This Hadith is Hasan Gharib, it was not narrated with a chain by anyone important besides Jarir bin Hazim, and this Hadith was only reported from Az-Zuhri, from the Prophet (ﷺ) in Mursal form. Hibban bin 'Ali Al-'Anazi reported it from 'Uqail, from Az-Zuhri, from 'Ubaidullah, from 'Ibn Abbas, from the Prophet (ﷺ), and Al-Laith bin Sa'd reported it from Sa'd, from 'Uqail, from Az-Zuhri, from the Prophet (ﷺ) in the Mursal form.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020