“O Aktham! Fight alongside people other than your own, it will improve your attitude and make you generous to your companions. O Aktham, the best number of companions is four, the best number of troops on an expedition is four hundred, the best number of an army is four thousand, and twelve thousand will never be overpowered because of their small number.”  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لأَكْثَمَ بْنِ الْجَوْنِ الْخُزَاعِيِّ يَا أَكْثَمُ اغْزُ مَعَ غَيْرِ قَوْمِكَ يَحْسُنْ خُلُقُكَ وَتَكْرُمْ عَلَى رُفَقَائِكَ يَا أَكْثَمُ خَيْرُ الرُّفَقَاءِ أَرْبَعَةٌ وَخَيْرُ السَّرَايَا أَرْبَعُمِائَةٍ وَخَيْرُ الْجُيُوشِ أَرْبَعَةُ آلاَفٍ وَلَنْ يُغْلَبَ اثْنَا عَشَرَ أَلْفًا مِنْ قِلَّةٍ  

“We were talking about how, on the Day of Badr, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ numbered three hundred ten and something, the same number as the Companions of (Talut) who crossed the river with him, and no one crossed the river with him but a believer.”  

أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانُوا يَوْمَ بَدْرٍ ثَلاَثَمِائَةٍ وَبِضْعَةَ عَشَرَ عَلَى عِدَّةِ أَصْحَابِ طَالُوتَ مَنْ جَازَ مَعَهُ النَّهَرَ وَمَا جَازَ مَعَهُ إِلاَّ مُؤْمِنٌ  

“I heard Abul-Ward, the Companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, say: ‘Beware of the troop which, when it meets (the enemy) it flees, and when it takes spoils of war, it steals from it.’”  

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْوَرْدِ صَاحِبَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِيَّاكُمْ وَالسَّرِيَّةَ الَّتِي إِنْ لَقِيَتْ فَرَّتْ وَإِنْ غَنِمَتْ غَلَّتْ