Narrated Ibn 'Umar:

Allah's Apostle sent an army detachment and made Usama bin Zaid its commander. Some people criticized (spoke badly of) Usama's leadership. So Allah's Apostle got up saying, "If you people are criticizing Usama's leadership, you have already criticized the leadership of his father before. But Wa-aimullah (i.e., By Allah), he (i.e. Zaid) deserved the leadership, and he was one of the most beloved persons to me;
and now this (his son Usama) is one of the dearest persons to me after him." (See Hadith No. 745, Vol. 5)

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعْثًا وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ أُسَامَةَ بْنَ زَيْدٍ، فَطَعَنَ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ فِي إِمْرَتِهِ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ " إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَطْعَنُونَ فِي إِمْرَتِهِ فَقَدْ كُنْتُمْ تَطْعَنُونَ، فِي إِمْرَةِ أَبِيهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ، وَايْمُ اللَّهِ إِنْ كَانَ لَخَلِيقًا لِلإِمَارَةِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ لَمِنْ أَحَبِّ النَّاسِ إِلَىَّ، وَإِنَّ هَذَا لَمِنْ أَحَبِّ النَّاسِ إِلَىَّ بَعْدَهُ ".