from his father: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave a Khutbah one day and said: 'Indeed there is a man whose Lord has given him the choice between living in this life as long as he wishes to live, and eating from this life as much as he wishes to eat, and between meeting his Lord.'" He said: "So Abu Bakr cried. The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ said: 'Are you not amazed at this old man, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ mentioned a righteous man whose Lord gave him the choice between this life or meeting his Lord, and he chose meeting his Lord.'" He said: "But Abu Bakr was the most knowledgeable one of them regarding what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had said. So Abu Bakr said: 'Rather we will ransom our fathers and wealth for you.' So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'There is no one among people more beneficial to us (Amanna Ilaina) in his companionship, or generous with his wealth than Ibn Abi Quhafah. And, if I were to take a Khalil, I would have taken Ibn Abi Quhafah as a Khalil. But rather love and the brotherhood of faith' - saying that two or three times - 'Indeed your companion is the Khalil of Allah.'" (Using translation from Tirmidhī 3659)   

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ خَطَبَ يَوْمًا فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَجُلًا خَيَّرَهُ رَبُّهُ ﷻ بَيْنَ أَنْ يَعِيشَ فِي الدُّنْيَا مَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَعِيشَ فِيهَا يَأْكُلُ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا مَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ مِنْهَا وَبَيْنَ لِقَاءِ رَبِّهِ ﷻ فَاخْتَارَ لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ قَالَ فَبَكَى أَبُو بَكْرٍ قَالَ فَقَالَ أَصْحَابُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ أَلَا تَعْجَبُونَ مِنْ هَذَا الشَّيْخِ أَنْ ذَكَرَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ رَجُلًا صَالِحًا خَيَّرَهُ رَبُّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى بَيْنَ الدُّنْيَا وَبَيْنَ لِقَاءِ رَبِّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى فَاخْتَارَ لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ ﷻ وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَعْلَمَهُمْ بِمَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ بَلْ نَفْدِيكَ بِأَمْوَالِنَا وَأَبْنَائِنَا أَوْ بِآبَائِنَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَا مِنَ النَّاسِ أَحَدٌ أَمَنُّ عَلَيْنَا فِي صُحْبَتِهِ وَذَاتِ يَدِهِ مِنْ ابْنِ أَبِي قُحَافَةَ وَلَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا خَلِيلًا لَاتَّخَذْتُ ابْنَ أَبِي قُحَافَةَ وَلَكِنْ وُدٌّ وَإِخَاءُ إِيمَانٍ وَلَكِنْ وُدٌّ وَإِخَاءُ إِيمَانٍ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَإِنَّ صَاحِبَكُمْ خَلِيلُ اللهِ ﷻ حَدِيثُ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ يَزيدَ الْجُعْفِيِّ