Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī
ahmad:2317 –

[Machine] "And indeed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ appointed Zaid to lead the army in Muta. If Zaid is killed, then Ja'far will take over. If Ja'far is killed, then Ibn Rawaha will take over. If Ibn Rawaha is left behind, he will join the Messenger of Allah ﷺ . When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw him, he asked, 'What is left behind you?' He said, 'I have joined you.' He ﷺ said, 'Tomorrow or the day after is better than this world and all that is in it.'"  

أحمد:٢٣١٧ –

وَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ بَعَثَ إِلَى مُؤْتَةَ فَاسْتَعْمَلَ زَيْدًا فَإِنْ قُتِلَ زَيْدٌ فَجَعْفَرٌ فَإِنْ قُتِلَ جَعْفَرٌ فَابْنُ رَوَاحَةَ فَتَخَلَّفَ ابْنُ رَوَاحَةَ فَجَمَّعَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَرَآهُ فَقَالَ مَا خَلَّفَكَ؟ قَالَ أُجَمِّعُ مَعَكَ قَالَ لَغَدْوَةٌ أَوْ رَوْحَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا  

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Collected by Suyūṭī
suyuti:420-371b – Ibn ʿAbbās
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السيوطي:٤٢٠-٣٧١b –

"عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ الله ﷺ بَعَثَ إِلَى مُؤْتَةَ فَاسْتَعْمَلَ زَيْدًا، فَإِنْ قُتِلَ زَيْدٌ فَجَعْفَرٌ، فَإِنْ قُتِلَ جَعْفَرٌ فَابْن رَوَاحَةَ، فَتَخَلَّفَ ابْنُ رَوَاحَةَ يُجَمِّعُ مَعَ النَّبِىِّ ﷺ ، فَرَآهُ النَّبِىُّ ﷺ فَقَالَ: مَا خَلَّفَكَ؟ قَالَ: أُجَمِّعُ مَعَكَ، قَالَ: لَغَدْوَةٌ أَوْ رَوْحَةٌ فِى سَبِيلِ الله خَيْر مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا".  

[ش] ابن أبى شيبة