I heard ‘Ali ؓ say: Allah took His Prophet in the best way any Prophet was ever taken, then Abu Bakr ؓ was appointed as his successor and he did what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had done and followed the Sunnah of his Prophet, and ʿUmar ؓ was appointed and did likewise.
سَمِعْتُ عَلِيًّا يَقُولُ قَبَضَ اللهُ نَبِيَّهُ ﷺ عَلَى خَيْرِ مَا قُبِضَ عَلَيْهِ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلامُ ثُمَّ اسْتُخْلِفَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَعَمِلَ بِعَمَلِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَسُنَّةِ نَبِيِّهِ وَعُمَرُ كَذَلِكَ