The Prophet ﷺ said, "If I were to take a Khalil, I would have taken Abu Bakr, but he is my brother and my companion (in Islam).

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ وَلَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا مِنْ أُمَّتِي خَلِيلاً لاَتَّخَذْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَلَكِنْ أَخِي وَصَاحِبِي

The people of Kufa sent a letter to Ibn Az-Zubair, asking about (the inheritance of) (paternal) grandfather. He replied that the right of the inheritance of (paternal) grandfather is the same as that of father if the father is dead) and added, "Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ' If I were to take a Khalil from this nation, I would have taken him (i.e. Abu Bakr).

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا مِنْ هَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ خَلِيلاً لاَتَّخَذْتُهُ أَنْزَلَهُ أَبًا يَعْنِي أَبَا بَكْرٍ

The person about whom Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If I were to take a Khalil from this nation (my followers), then I would have taken him (i.e., Abu Bakr), but the Islamic Brotherhood is better (or said: good)," regarded a grandfather as the father himself (in inheritance).

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا مِنْ هَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ خَلِيلاً لاَتَّخَذْتُهُ وَلَكِنْ خُلَّةُ الإِسْلاَمِ أَفْضَلُ أَوْ قَالَ خَيْرٌ فَإِنَّهُ أَنْزَلَهُ أَبًا أَوْ قَالَ قَضَاهُ أَبًا

If I were to choose from my Umma anyone as my bosom friend, I would have chosen Abu Bakr.

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ لَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا مِنْ أُمَّتِي أَحَدًا خَلِيلاً لاَتَّخَذْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ

" Messenger of Allah ﷺ is reported to have said: Behold I am free from the dependence of all bosom friends and if I were to choose anyone as bosom friend I would have taken Abu Bakr as my bosom friend. Allah has taken your companion as a friend.

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَلاَ إِنِّي أَبْرَأُ إِلَى كُلِّ خِلٍّ مِنْ خِلِّهِ وَلَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا خَلِيلاً لاَتَّخَذْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ خَلِيلاً إِنَّ صَاحِبَكُمْ خَلِيلُ اللَّهِ

[AI] The translation of the given Arabic phrase into English is: The messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If I were to take a close friend from this nation, I would have chosen Abu Bakr, as he is like a father to me."

لَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ خَلِيلًا لَاتَّخَذْتُهُ فَإِنَّهُ قَضَاهُ أَبًا يَعْنِي أَبَا بَكْرٍ

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'I have no need of the friendship of any Khalil (close friend) but if I were to have taken anyone as a close friend, I would have taken Abu Bakr as a close friend, but your companion is the close friend of Allah,'" (One of the narrators) Waki' said: (by the phrase 'your companion'), he was referring to himself. (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 93)

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ إِنِّي أَبْرَأُ إِلَى كُلِّ خَلِيلٍ مِنْ خُلَّتِهِ وَلَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا خَلِيلًا لَاتَّخَذْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ خَلِيلًا وَإِنَّ صَاحِبَكُمْ خَلِيلُ اللهِ ﷻ

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'I have no need of the friendship of any Khalil (close friend) but if I were to have taken anyone as a close friend, I would have taken Abu Bakr as a close friend, but your companion is the close friend of Allah,'" (One of the narrators) Waki' said: (by the phrase 'your companion'), he was referring to himself. (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 93)

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَلَا إِنِّي أَبْرَأُ إِلَى كُلِّ خَلِيلٍ مِنْ خُلَّتِهِ وَلَوِ اتَّخَذْتُ خَلِيلًا لَاتَّخَذْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ خَلِيلًا إِنَّ صَاحِبَكُمْ خَلِيلُ اللهِ ﷻ

" Messenger of Allah ﷺ is reported to have said: Behold I am free from the dependence of all bosom friends and if I were to choose anyone as bosom friend I would have taken Abu Bakr as my bosom friend. Allah has taken your companion as a friend. (Using translation from Muslim 2383e)

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَلَا إِنِّي أَبْرَأُ إِلَى كُلِّ خَلِيلٍ مِنْ خِلِّهِ وَلَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا خَلِيلًا لَاتَّخَذْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ إِنَّ صَاحِبَكُمْ خَلِيلُ اللهِ ﷻ

If I were to choose from my Umma anyone as my bosom friend, I would have chosen Abu Bakr. (Using translation from Muslim 2383b)

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ لَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا مِنْ أُمَّتِي أَحَدًا خَلِيلًا لَاتَّخَذْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ

If I were to choose as my bosom friend I would have chosen the son of Abu Quhafa (Abu Bakr) as my bosom friend. (Using translation from Muslim 2383c)

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًاخَلِيلًا مِنْ أُمَّتِي لَاتَّخَذْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ خَلِيلًا

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ لَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا مِنْ أُمَّتِي خَلِيلًا لَاتَّخَذْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَهَذَا الْحَدِيثُ قَدْ رُوِيَ مِنْ غَيْرِ وَجْهٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْأَحْوَصِ

[AI] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Indeed, Allah has taken me as a close friend (Khalil) just as He took Ibrahim as a close friend (Khalil), and truly my close friend (Khalil) is Abu Bakr."

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «إِنَّ اللهَ ﷻ اتَّخَذَنِي خَلِيلًا كَمَا اتَّخَذَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ خَلِيلًا وَإِنَّ خَلِيلِي أَبُو بَكْرٍ ؓ»

[AI] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If I were to take a close friend, I would have chosen Abu Bakr as my close friend."

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «لَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا خَلِيلًا لَاتَّخَذْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ خَلِيلًا»

"إِن اللهَ ﷻ اتخذنِي خليلا كما اتخذ إِبراهيم خليلا، وإن خليلى أبو بَكرٍ".

"لَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا خَلِيلًا لَاتَّخَذتُ أبَا بَكْرٍ خَلِيلا".