Hadith #345
Arabic Text
وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ فِي يَدِهِ لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَا قَعَدْتُ خَلْفَ سَرِيَّةٍ تَغْزُو فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَكِنْ لَا أَجِدُ سَعَةً فَأَحْمِلَهُمْ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ سَعَةً فَيَتَّبِعُونِي وَلَا تَطِيبُ أَنْفُسُهُمْ أَنْ يَقْعُدُوا بَعْدِي
English Translation
the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, were it not that I would cause hardship to the believers, I would not stay behind from any military expedition that goes out to fight in the cause of Allah. But I do not have the means to provide them all with mounts, nor do they have the means, and it would grieve them to stay behind from me.'
Quran References
Reference: Musnad Ahmad, Book 18, Hadith 345
Sunnah.com ref: Musnad Ahmad 7783
Islam.wiki ID: IWH-44173