I thought that ‘Ali ؓ was the best of the people after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ... and he quoted the hadeeth. I said: No by Allah, O Ameer al-Muʿmineen, I did not think that any of the Muslims after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was better than you. He said: Shall I not tell you of the best of the people after the Messenger of Allah? I said: Yes. He said: Abu Bakr ؓ . Then he said: Shall I not tell you of the best of the people after the Messenger of Allah and Abu Bakr? I said: Yes. He said: ʿUmar ؓ .  

أَنَّ عَلِيًّا أَفْضَلُ النَّاسِ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ قُلْتُ لَا وَاللهِ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِنِّي لَمْ أَكُنِ أَرَى أَنَّ أَحَدًا مِنَ المُسْلِمِينَ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ أَفْضَلُ مِنْكَ قَالَ أَفَلا أُحَدِّثُكَ بِأَفْضَلِ النَّاسِ كَانَ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ قَالَ قُلْتُ بَلَى فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَقَالَ أَفَلا أُخْبِرُكَ بِخَيْرِ النَّاسِ كَانَ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَبِي بَكْرٍ؟ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَ عُمَرُ