I said to the Prophet ﷺ while I was in the Cave. "If any of them should look under his feet, he would see us." He said, "O Abu Bakr! What do you think of two (persons) the third of whom is Allah?"  

قُلْتُ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَأَنَا فِي الْغَارِ لَوْ أَنَّ أَحَدَهُمْ نَظَرَ تَحْتَ قَدَمَيْهِ لأَبْصَرَنَا فَقَالَ مَا ظَنُّكَ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ بِاثْنَيْنِ اللَّهُ ثَالِثُهُمَا  

Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat on the pulpit and said, "Allah has given one of His Slaves the choice of receiving the splendor and luxury of the worldly life whatever he likes or to accept the good (of the Hereafter) which is with Allah. So he has chosen that good which is with Allah." On that Abu Bakr wept and said, "Our fathers and mothers be sacrificed for you." We became astonished at this. The people said, "Look at this old man! Messenger of Allah ﷺ talks about a Slave of Allah to whom He has given the option to choose either the splendor of this worldly life or the good which is with Him, while he says. 'our fathers and mothers be sacrifice(i for you." But it was Messenger of Allah ﷺ who had been given option, and Abu Bakr knew it better than we. Messenger of Allah ﷺ added, "No doubt, I am indebted to Abu Bakr more than to anybody else regarding both his companionship and his wealth. And if I had to take a Khalil from my followers, I would certainly have taken Abu Bakr, but the fraternity of Islam is. sufficient. Let no door (i.e. Khoukha) of the Mosque remain open, except the door of Abu Bakr."  

عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ ؓ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ جَلَسَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ عَبْدًا خَيَّرَهُ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ أَنْ يُؤْتِيَهُ مِنْ زَهْرَةِ الدُّنْيَا مَا شَاءَ وَبَيْنَ مَا عِنْدَهُ فَاخْتَارَ مَا عِنْدَهُ فَبَكَى أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَقَالَ فَدَيْنَاكَ بِآبَائِنَا وَأُمَّهَاتِنَا فَعَجِبْنَا لَهُ وَقَالَ النَّاسُ انْظُرُوا إِلَى هَذَا الشَّيْخِ يُخْبِرُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ عَبْدٍ خَيَّرَهُ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ أَنْ يُؤْتِيَهُ مِنْ زَهْرَةِ الدُّنْيَا وَبَيْنَ مَا عِنْدَهُ وَهْوَ يَقُولُ فَدَيْنَاكَ بِآبَائِنَا وَأُمَّهَاتِنَا فَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ هُوَ الْمُخَيَّرَ وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ هُوَ أَعْلَمَنَا بِهِ وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ مِنْ أَمَنِّ النَّاسِ عَلَىَّ فِي صُحْبَتِهِ وَمَالِهِ أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَلَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا خَلِيلاً مِنْ أُمَّتِي لاَتَّخَذْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ إِلاَّ خُلَّةَ الإِسْلاَمِ لاَ يَبْقَيَنَّ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ خَوْخَةٌ إِلاَّ خَوْخَةُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ  

The Prophet ﷺ deputed me to read the Army of Dhat-as-Salasil. I came to him and said, "Who is the most beloved person to you?" He said, " ʿAisha." I asked, "Among the men?" He said, "Her father." I said, "Who then?" He said, "Then ʿUmar bin Al-Khattab." He then named other men.  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ بَعَثَهُ عَلَى جَيْشِ ذَاتِ السَّلاَسِلِ فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ أَىُّ النَّاسِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ عَائِشَةُ فَقُلْتُ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ فَقَالَ أَبُوهَا قُلْتُ ثُمَّ مَنْ قَالَ ثُمَّ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ فَعَدَّ رِجَالاً  

A woman came to the Prophet ﷺ who ordered her to return to him again. She said, "What if I came and did not find you?" as if she wanted to say, "If I found you dead?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "If you should not find me, go to Abu Bakr."  

أَتَتِ امْرَأَةٌ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَأَمَرَهَا أَنْ تَرْجِعَ إِلَيْهِ قَالَتْ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ جِئْتُ وَلَمْ أَجِدْكَ كَأَنَّهَا تَقُولُ الْمَوْتَ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ إِنْ لَمْ تَجِدِينِي فَأْتِي أَبَا بَكْرٍ  

Once Messenger of Allah ﷺ; offered the morning prayer and then faced the people and said, "While a man was driving a cow, he suddenly rode over it and beat it. The cow said, "We have not been created for this, but we have been created for sloughing." On that the people said astonishingly, "Glorified be Allah! A cow speaks!" The Prophet ﷺ said, "I believe this, and Abu Bakr and ʿUmar too, believe it, although neither of them was present there. While a person was amongst his sheep, a wolf attacked and took one of the sheep. The man chased the wolf till he saved it from the wolf, where upon the wolf said, 'You have saved it from me; but who will guard it on the day of the wild beasts when there will be no shepherd to guard them except me (because of riots and afflictions)? ' " The people said surprisingly, "Glorified be Allah! A wolf speaks!" The Prophet ﷺ said, "But I believe this, and Abu Bakr and ʿUmar too, believe this, although neither of them was present there." (See the Foot-note of page No. 10 Vol.5)  

صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلاَةَ الصُّبْحِ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَقَالَ بَيْنَا رَجُلٌ يَسُوقُ بَقَرَةً إِذْ رَكِبَهَا فَضَرَبَهَا فَقَالَتْ إِنَّا لَمْ نُخْلَقْ لِهَذَا إِنَّمَا خُلِقْنَا لِلْحَرْثِ فَقَالَ النَّاسُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ بَقَرَةٌ تَكَلَّمُ فَقَالَ فَإِنِّي أُومِنُ بِهَذَا أَنَا وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ وَمَا هُمَا ثَمَّ وَبَيْنَمَا رَجُلٌ فِي غَنَمِهِ إِذْ عَدَا الذِّئْبُ فَذَهَبَ مِنْهَا بِشَاةٍ فَطَلَبَ حَتَّى كَأَنَّهُ اسْتَنْقَذَهَا مِنْهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ الذِّئْبُ هَذَا اسْتَنْقَذْتَهَا مِنِّي فَمَنْ لَهَا يَوْمَ السَّبُعِ يَوْمَ لاَ رَاعِيَ لَهَا غَيْرِي فَقَالَ النَّاسُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ ذِئْبٌ يَتَكَلَّمُ قَالَ فَإِنِّي أُومِنُ بِهَذَا أَنَا وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ وَمَا هُمَا ثَمَّ وَحَدَّثَنَا عَلِيٌّ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ مِسْعَرٍ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِمِثْلِهِ