The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent us out on a military expedition. When we returned, he asked, "How did you find the companionship of your commander?"Either I complained about him, or someone else did.I raised my head, for I was a man who usually kept his head lowered, and saw that the Prophet's ﷺ face had turned red. He was saying, "Whoever I am his protector, Ali is his protector."
حدثنا أبو معاوية حدثنا الأعمش عن سعيد بن عبيدة
بعثنا رسول الله ﷺ في سرية قال لما قدمنا قال كيف رأيتم صحابة صاحبكم قال فإما شكوته أو شكاه غيري قال فرفعت رأسي وكنت رجلا مكبابا قال فإذا النبي ﷺ قد احمر وجهه قال وهو يقول من كنت وليه فعلي وليه
No references are available.
Its isnad is sahih. Saad bin Ubayda Sulami is among the trustworthy Successors, and his hadith appears in the collections of all the major compilers. This hadith has already appeared, without its introduction, at 22841.