Islam Academy

Mishkat al-Masabih

Book 19Hadith Number 3912
ENOfficial

Ibn ‘Abbas reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, "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." Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a gharib tradition.

Source: sunnah.com

Other translations

Arabic

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «خَيْرُ الصَّحَابَةِ أَرْبَعَةٌ وَخَيْرُ السَّرَايَا أَرْبَعُمِائَةٍ وَخَيْرُ الْجُيُوشِ أَرْبَعَةُ آلَافٍ وَلَنْ يُغْلَبَ اثْنَا عَشَرَ أَلْفًا مِنْ قِلَّةٍ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالدَّارِمِيُّ وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: هَذَا حَدِيث غَرِيب

sunnah.com