“Yahya bin Al-Qitan” says:
سَمِعت یحیى یَقُول قَالَ یحیى بن سعید لَو لم أرو إِلَّا عَن کل من أرضی أَو کلمة نَحْوهَا مَا رویت إِلَّا عَن خَمْسَة.
I heard of “Yahya bin Ma’in” who said: “Yahya bin Sa’id” {Al-Qitan} has said that if I wanted to quote narrative from those that I’m pleased of them {or a word like that}, I wouldn’t quote narrative from anyone other than five guys.
“Yahya bin Ma’in”- al-Tarikh” vol. 4, p 189