I heard ‘Ali ؓ say: Shall I not tell you of the best of this ummah after its Prophet ﷺ? [It is] Abu Bakr. Then he said: Shall I not tell you of the best of this ummah after Abu Bakr? [It is] ‘Umar ؓ .

سَمِعْتُ عَلِيًّا يَقُولُ أَلا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ بَعْدَ نَبِيِّهَا؟ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَلا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ بَعْدَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ عُمَرُ

ʿAli ؓ said: The best of this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, and after Abu Bakr it is ‘Umar ؓ , and if I wanted to tell you of the third one, I could do so.

عَلِيٌّ خَيْرُ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ بَعْدَ نَبِيِّهَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَبَعْدَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ عُمَرُ وَلَوْ شِئْتُ أَخْبَرْتُكُمْ بِالثَّالِثِ لَفَعَلْتُ

‘Ali ؓ addressed us and said: Shall I not tell you of the best of this ummah after its Prophet? [It is] Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq. Then he said: Shall I not tell you of the best of this ummah after its Prophet ﷺ and after Abu Bakr? He Said: [lt is] ʻUmar.

أَلا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ بَعْدَ نَبِيِّهَا؟ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقُ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَلا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ بَعْدَ نَبِيِّهَا وَبَعْدَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ؟ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ

‘Ali bin Abi Talib ؓ said: Shall I not tell you of the best of this ummah after its Prophet ﷺ? Abu Bakr, then ʿUmar, then another man.

قَالَقَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ أَلا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ بَعْدَ نَبِيِّهَا؟ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ثُمَّ عُمَرُ ثُمَّ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ

Shall I not tell you of the best of this ummah after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? It is Abu Bakr and ʼUmar ؓ .

سَمِعْتُ عَلِيًّا يَقُولُ أَلا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ

Shall I not tell you of the best of this ummah after its Prophet? [It is] Abu Bakr, and the best of it after Abu Bakr is ʿUmar ؓ . Then Allah puts goodness wherever He wills.

أَلا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ بَعْدَ نَبِيِّهَا؟ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَخَيْرُهَا بَعْدَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ عُمَرُ ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُ اللهُ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ أَحَبَّ