that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent and army and put Usamah bin Zaid in charge of them. So the people contested his leadership, so the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'If you contest his leadership, then you did contest the leadership of his father before him. And indeed, by Allah, he was certainly fit for leadership, and he was of the most beloved of people to me, and this one is among the most beloved of people to me after him.'"
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَعَثَ بَعْثًا وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ أُسَامَةَ بْنَ زَيْدٍ فَطَعَنَ النَّاسُ فِي إِمَارَتِهِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِنْ تَطْعَنُوا فِي إِمَارَتِهِ فَقَدْ كُنْتُمْ تَطْعَنُونَ فِي إِمْرَةِ أَبِيهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَايْمُ اللَّهِ إِنْ كَانَ لَخَلِيقًا لِلإِمَارَةِ وَإِنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَحَبِّ النَّاسِ إِلَىَّ وَإِنَّ هَذَا مِنْ أَحَبِّ النَّاسِ إِلَىَّ بَعْدَهُ . قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .
Tirmizi
Chapters on Virtues • Hadith 4054