"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.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَلاَ إِنِّي أَبْرَأُ إِلَى كُلِّ خَلِيلٍ مِنْ خُلَّتِهِ وَلَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا خَلِيلاً لاَتَّخَذْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ خَلِيلاً إِنَّ صَاحِبَكُمْ خَلِيلُ اللَّهِ قَالَ وَكِيعٌ يَعْنِي نَفْسَهُ  

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'The wealth of none of you has benefited me as much as the wealth of Abu Bakr.'" Abu Bakr wept and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I and my wealth are only for you, O Messenger of Allah.'"  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَا نَفَعَنِي مَالٌ قَطُّ مَا نَفَعَنِي مَالُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ قَالَ فَبَكَى أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَقَالَ هَلْ أَنَا وَمَالِي إِلاَّ لَكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ  

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Abu Bakr and 'Umar are the leaders of the mature people of Paradise, and the first and the last, except for the Prophets and Messengers, but do not tell them about that, O 'Ali, as long as they are still alive.'"  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ سَيِّدَا كُهُولِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ مِنَ الأَوَّلِينَ وَالآخِرِينَ إِلاَّ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ لاَ تُخْبِرْهُمَا يَا عَلِيُّ مَا دَامَا حَيَّيْنِ  

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'The people of the highest degrees of Paradise will be seen by those beneath them as a rising star is seen on the horizon. Abu Bakr and 'Umar will be among them, and how blessed they are!'"  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ أَهْلَ الدَّرَجَاتِ الْعُلَى يَرَاهُمْ مَنْ أَسْفَلَ مِنْهُمْ كَمَا يُرَى الْكَوْكَبُ الطَّالِعُ فِي الأُفُقِ مِنْ آفَاقِ السَّمَاءِ وَإِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَأَنْعَمَا  

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'I do not know how long I will stay among you, so follow the example of these two after I am gone,' and he pointed to Abu Bakr and ʿUmar."  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنِّي لاَ أَدْرِي قَدْرَ بَقَائِي فِيكُمْ فَاقْتَدُوا بِاللَّذَيْنِ مِنْ بَعْدِي وَأَشَارَ إِلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ  

"I heard Ibn 'Abbas say: 'When 'Umar was placed on his bed (i.e., his bier), the people around him gathered around him, praying and invoking blessings upon him,' or he said, 'praising him and invoking blessings upon him before (the bier) was lifted up, and I was among them. No one alarmed me except a man who crowded against me and seized me by the shoulder. I turned and saw that it was 'Ali bin Abu Talib. He prayed for mercy for 'Umar, then he said: "You have not left behind anyone who it is more beloved to me to meet Allah with the like of his deeds than yourself. By Allah, I think that Allah will most certainly unite you with your two companions, and that is because I often heard the Messenger of Allah saying: 'Abu Bakr, 'Umar and I went; Abu Bakr, 'Umar and I came in; Abu Bakr, 'Umar and I went out.' So I think that Allah will most certainly join you to your two companions."  

أَنْ أَلْقَى اللَّهَ بِمِثْلِ عَمَلِهِ مِنْكَ وَايْمُ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُ لأَظُنُّ لَيَجْعَلَنَّكَ اللَّهُ ﷻ مَعَ صَاحِبَيْكَ وَذَلِكَ أَنِّي كُنْتُ أَكْثَرُ أَنْ أَسْمَعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ ذَهَبْتُ أَنَا وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ وَدَخَلْتُ أَنَا وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ وَخَرَجْتُ أَنَا وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ فَكُنْتُ أَظُنُّ لَيَجْعَلَنَّكَ اللَّهُ مَعَ صَاحِبَيْكَ  

"The Messenger of Allah came out standing between Abu Bakr and 'Umar and said: 'Thus will I be resurrected,'"  

خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَيْنَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ فَقَالَ هَكَذَا نُبْعَثُ  

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Abu Bakr and 'Umar are the leaders of the mature people of Paradise, the first and the last, except for the Prophets and the Messengers.'"  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ سَيِّدَا كُهُولِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ مِنَ الأَوَّلِينَ وَالآخِرِينَ إِلاَّ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ  

"It was said: 'O Messenger of Allah, which of the people is most beloved to you?' He said: "Aishah.' It was asked, 'And among men?' He said: 'Her father.'"  

قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَىُّ النَّاسِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ عَائِشَةُ قِيلَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ قَالَ أَبُوهَا