We used to say in the times of the Prophet ﷺ: We do not compare anyone with Abu Bakr. ’Umar came next and then ‘Uthman. We then would leave (rest of) the companions of the Prophet ﷺ without treating any as superior to other.  

كُنَّا نَقُولُ فِي زَمَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ لاَ نَعْدِلُ بِأَبِي بَكْرٍ أَحَدًا ثُمَّ عُمَرَ ثُمَّ عُثْمَانَ ثُمَّ نَتْرُكُ أَصْحَابَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ لاَ تَفَاضُلَ بَيْنَهُمْ  

When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was alive, we used to say: The most excellent member of the community of the Prophet ﷺ after himself is Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar, then 'Uthman.  

كُنَّا نَقُولُ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَىٌّ أَفْضَلُ أُمَّةِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بَعْدَهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ثُمَّ عُمَرُ ثُمَّ عُثْمَانُ ؓ أَجْمَعِينَ  

I said to my father: Which of the people after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is best? He replied: Abu Bakr. I then asked: Who comes next? He said: ‘Umar. I was then afraid of asking him who came next, and he might mention ‘Uthman, so I said: You came next, O my father? He said: I am only a man among the Muslims.  

قُلْتُ لأَبِي أَىُّ النَّاسِ خَيْرٌ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ ثُمَّ مَنْ قَالَ ثُمَّ عُمَرُ قَالَ ثُمَّ خَشِيتُ أَنْ أَقُولَ ثُمَّ مَنْ فَيَقُولَ عُثْمَانُ فَقُلْتُ ثُمَّ أَنْتَ يَا أَبَةِ قَالَ مَا أَنَا إِلاَّ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ  

I heard Sufyan say: If anyone thinks that ‘All (Allah be pleased with him) was more deserving for the Caliphate than both of them, he imputed error to Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, the Muhajirun (Immigrants), and the Ansar (Helpers) Allah be pleased with all of them. I think that with this (belief) none of his action will rise to the heaven.  

أَنَّ عَلِيًّا عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ كَانَ أَحَقَّ بِالْوِلاَيَةِ مِنْهُمَا فَقَدْ خَطَّأَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالأَنْصَارَ وَمَا أُرَاهُ يَرْتَفِعُ لَهُ مَعَ هَذَا عَمَلٌ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ  

The Caliphs are five: Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, ‘All and ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-Aziz.  

سَمِعْتُ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيَّ يَقُولُ الْخُلَفَاءُ خَمْسَةٌ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ وَعُثْمَانُ وَعَلِيٌّ وَعُمَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ ؓ