The Messenger of Allah ﷺ dispatched a military expedition and placed Usama bin Zayd in command over them. Some people criticized his appointment, so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up and said, "If you are criticizing his command, you criticized the command of his father before him. By Allah, he was truly worthy of leadership, and he was among the most beloved of people to me, and this one is among the most beloved of people to me after him."
بعث رسول الله ﷺ بعثا، وأمر عليهم أسامة بن زيد، فطعن بعض الناس في إمرته، فقام رسول الله ﷺ فقال: إن كنتم تطعنون في إمرته، فقد كنتم تطعنون في إمرة أبيه من قبل، وأيم الله إن كان لخليقا للإمارة، وإن كان لمن أحب الناس إلي، وإن هذا لمن أحب الناس إلي بعده.
Bukhari narrated it in "Oaths and Vows" (6627) and Muslim in "Virtues" (63:2426), both of them via the route of Ismail bin Jafar, from Abdullah bin Dinar, that he heard Ibn Umar say it, then he mentioned it.Muslim also narrated it via the route of Salim bin Umar, from his father, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said while he was on the pulpit, "If you object to his command, meaning Usama bin Zayd, you have already objected to his father's command before him. By Allah, he was indeed worthy of it. By Allah, he was indeed the most beloved of people to me. By Allah, this one too is indeed worthy of it, meaning Usama bin Zayd, and by Allah, he was indeed the most beloved of them to me after him. So I charge you concerning him, for he is one of your righteous ones."