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
darimi:2482 – Muḥammad b. al-Ṣalt > Ḥibbān b. ʿAlī > Yūnus And ʿUqayl > Ibn Shihāb > ʿUbaydullāh b. ʿAbdullāh > Ibn ʿAbbās

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The best of companions are four, and the best of armies are four thousand, and the best of fortresses are four hundred. And if the number does not exceed twelve thousand, they should remain patient and truthful, for they will prevail despite their small number."  

الدارمي:٢٤٨٢ – حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّلْتِ حَدَّثَنَا حِبَّانُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ يُونُسَ وَعُقَيْلٍ عَنْ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «خَيْرُ الْأَصْحَابِ أَرْبَعَةٌ وَخَيْرُ الْجُيُوشِ أَرْبَعَةُ آلَافٍ وَخَيْرُ السَّرَايَا أَرْبَعُ مِائَةٍ وَمَا بَلَغَ اثْنَي عَشَرَ أَلْفًا فَصَبَرُوا وَصَدَقُوا فَغُلِبُوا مِنْ قِلَّةٍ»  

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Abū Dāwūd, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Suyūṭī
abudawud:2611 – Zuhayr b. Ḥarb Abū Khaythamah > Wahbb. Jarīr from my father > Yūnus > al-Zuhrī > ʿUbaydullāh b. ʿAbdullāh > Ibn ʿAbbās

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).  

أبو داود:٢٦١١ – 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 ﷺ قَالَ خَيْرُ الصَّحَابَةِ أَرْبَعَةٌ وَخَيْرُ السَّرَايَا أَرْبَعُمِائَةٍ وَخَيْرُ الْجُيُوشِ أَرْبَعَةُ آلاَفٍ وَلَنْ يُغْلَبَ اثْنَا عَشَرَ أَلْفًا مِنْ قِلَّةٍ  

قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالصَّحِيحُ أَنَّهُ مُرْسَلٌ
ahmad:2682 – And Hb b. Jarīr from my father > Yūnus > Iālzzuhrī > ʿUbaydullāh > Ibn ʿAbbās

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). (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2611)   

أحمد:٢٦٨٢ – حَدَّثَنَا وَهْبُ بْنُ جَرِيرٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي قَالَ سَمِعْتُ يُونُسَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنِالزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ خَيْرُ الصَّحَابَةِ أَرْبَعَةٌ وَخَيْرُ السَّرَايَا أَرْبَعُمِائَةٍ وَخَيْرُ الْجُيُوشِ أَرْبَعَةُ آلافٍ وَلا يُغْلَبُ اثْنَا عَشَرَ أَلْفًا مِنْ قِلَّةٍ  

ahmad:2718 – Yūnus > Ḥibbān b. ʿAlī > ʿUqayl b. Khālid > al-Zuhrī > ʿUbaydullāh b. ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUtbah > Ibn ʿAbbās

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The best companions are four, and the best armies are four thousand. And he, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , said: 'A people will not be defeated due to their small number, as long as they reach twelve thousand.'"  

أحمد:٢٧١٨ – حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ حَدَّثَنَا حِبَّانُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ حَدَّثَنَا عُقَيْلُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ خَيْرُ الْأَصْحَابِ أَرْبَعَةٌ وَخَيْرُ السَّرَايَا أَرْبَعُ مِائَةٍ وَخَيْرُ الْجُيُوشِ أَرْبَعَةُ آلافٍ قَالَ وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَنْ يُغْلَبَ قَوْمٌ عَنْ قِلَّةٍ يَبْلُغُونَ أَنْ يَكُونُوا اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ أَلْفًا  

ذِكْرُ الْإِخْبَارِ عَنْ وَصْفِ خَيْرِ الْجُيُوشِ وَالصَّحَابَةِ

ibnhibban:4717 – Aḥmad b. ʿAlī b. al-Muthanná > Abū Khaythamah > Wahbb. Jarīr from my father > Yūnus b. Yazīd al-Aylī > al-Zuhrī > ʿUbaydullāh b. ʿAbdullāh > Ibn ʿAbbās

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). (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2611)   

ابن حبّان:٤٧١٧ – أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْمُثَنَّى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَيْثَمَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا وَهْبُ بْنُ جَرِيرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي قَالَ سَمِعْتُ يُونُسَ بْنَ يَزِيدَ الْأَيْلِيَّ يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ «خَيْرُ الصَّحَابَةِ أَرْبَعَةٌ وَخَيْرُ السَّرَايَا أَرْبَعُ مِائَةٍ وَخَيْرُ الْجُيُوشِ أَرْبَعَةُ آلَافٍ وَلَنْ يُغْلَبَ اثْنَا عَشَرَ أَلْفًا مِنْ قِلَّةٍ»  

suyuti:13967a –
Request/Fix translation

  

السيوطي:١٣٩٦٧a –

"خَيْرُ الصَّحابَةِ أَرْبعَةٌ، وخَيْرُ السرايا أَربعُمائةٍ، وخَيْرُ الجيوشِ أَرْبَعَةُ آلَافٍ، ولَا يُهْزَمُ اثنا عشَرَ أَلْفًا مِنْ قِلَّةٍ" زاد كر: إِذا صَبرُوا وصَدقُوا".  

[حم] أحمد [د] أبو داود [ت] الترمذي حسن غريب، [ك] الحاكم في المستدرك [ق] البيهقى في السنن [كر] ابن عساكر في تاريخه عن ابن عباس