Shall I not tell you of the best of this ummah after its Prophet? [It is] Abu Bakr, and the second is ʼUmar ؓ . And if you wish, I shall name the third, Abu Ishaq said: ʿAbd Khair made it clear so that you would not have any doubts concerning what ʿAli ؓ said.
عَنْ عَلِيٍّ أَلا أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ بَعْدَ نَبِيِّهَا؟ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَالثَّانِي عُمَرُ وَلَوْ شِئْتُ سَمَّيْتُ الثَّالِثَ قَالَ أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ فَتَهَجَّاهَا عَبْدُ خَيْرٍ لِكَيْ لَا يَمْتَرُوا فِيمَا قَالَ عَلِيٌّ