"I was sitting [with the Prophet ﷺ] when 'Ali and Al-'Abbas came seeking permission to enter. They said: 'O Usamah, seek permission for us from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.' So I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, 'Ali and Al-'Abbas seek permission to enter.' He said: 'Do you know what has brought them?' I said: 'No [I do not know].' So the Prophet ﷺ said: 'But I know, grant them permission.'

So they entered and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, we have come to you, to ask you which of your family is most beloved to you.' He said: 'Fatimah bint Muhammad.' So they said: 'We did not come to ask you about (immediate) family.' He said: 'The most beloved of my family to me is the one whom Allah favored and I favored, Usamah bin Zaid.' They said: 'Then who?' He said: 'Then 'Ali bin Abi Talib.' Al-'Abbas said: 'O Messenger of Allah, you have made your uncle the last of them.' He said: 'Indeed, 'Ali has preceded you in emigration.'"  

كُنْتُ جَالِسًا عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ إِذْ جَاءَ عَلِيٌّ وَالْعَبَّاسُ يَسْتَأْذِنَانِ فَقَالاَ يَا أُسَامَةُ اسْتَأْذِنْ لَنَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ عَلِيٌّ وَالْعَبَّاسُ يَسْتَأْذِنَانِ فَقَالَ: «أَتَدْرِي مَا جَاءَ بِهِمَا۔» قُلْتُ لاَ أَدْرِيَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: «لَكِنِّي أَدْرِي فَأَذِنَ لَهُمَا۔»

فَدَخَلاَ فَقَالاَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ جِئْنَاكَ نَسْأَلُكَ أَىُّ أَهْلِكَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ: «فَاطِمَةُ بِنْتُ مُحَمَّدٍ۔» فَقَالاَ مَا جِئْنَاكَ نَسْأَلُكَ عَنْ أَهْلِكَ قَالَ: «أَحَبُّ أَهْلِي إِلَىَّ مَنْ قَدْ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْهِ أُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ۔» قَالاَ ثُمَّ مَنْ قَالَ: «ثُمَّ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ۔» قَالَ الْعَبَّاسُ يَا رَسُولَ الله جَعَلْتَ عَمَّكَ آخِرَهُمْ قَالَ: «لأَنَّ عَلِيًّا قَدْ سَبَقَكَ بِالْهِجْرَةِ۔»  

I was in the Masjid then al-ʿAbbās and ʿAlī came to me and they both said, "O Usāmah, get permission for us from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." Then I entered upon the Prophet ﷺ and asked for his permission and told him that ʿAbbās and ʿAlī are seeking permission." He said, "Do you know what they need?" I said, "No, by Allah, I do not know." He said, "However, I know, allow them ˹to enter˺."

Then they both entered upon him and both said, "We came to ask you which one of your family members you love the most?" He said, ‘The one I love the most from my family is Fāṭimah b. Muḥmammad.’ They both said, "We are not asking about Fāṭimah." He said, "Then, Usāmah son of Zayd, the one who ˹is˺ the one Allāh had favored upon and I had favored upon."  

كُنْتُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَأَتَانِي الْعَبَّاسُ وَعَلِيٌّ فَقَالَا لِي يَا أُسَامَةُ اسْتَأْذِنْ لَنَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ۔ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَاسْتَأْذَنْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّ الْعَبَّاسَ وَعَلِيًّا يَسْتَأْذِنَانِ قَالَ «هَلْ تَدْرِي مَا حَاجَتُهُمَا؟» قُلْتُ لَا وَاللَّهِ مَا أَدْرِي قَالَ «لَكِنِّي أَدْرِي ائْذَنْ لَهُمَا۔»

فَدَخَلَا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ جِئْنَاكَ نَسْأَلُكَ أَيُّ أَهْلِكَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ؟ قَالَ «أَحَبُّ أَهْلِي إِلَيَّ فَاطِمَةُ بِنْتُ مُحَمَّدٍ» فَقَالَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَيْسَ نَسْأَلُكَ عَنْ فَاطِمَةَ قَالَ «فَأُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ الَّذِي أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْهِ»  

[Machine] I passed by the mosque and found Ali and Al-Abbas sitting. They said, "O Usama, seek permission for us to enter upon the Messenger of Allah. So I said, "O Messenger of Allah, Ali and Al-Abbas are at the door, wanting to come in to see you." He said, "Do you know why they have come?" I said, "No, by Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I do not know why they have come." He said, "But I know why they have come, so let them in." So they entered upon him and Ali said, "O Messenger of Allah, we have come to ask you: Who is the most beloved among your family to you?" He said, "Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad." Ali said, "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I do not ask you about your family. I ask you about myself." He said, "The one whom Allah has bestowed favor upon and I have bestowed favor upon is Usama." He said, "Then who, O Messenger of Allah?" He said, "Then it is you." Al-Abbas said, "Have you made your uncle the last of them?" He said, "Ali preceded you in migration."  

مَرَرْتُ بِالْمَسْجِدِ فَإِذَا عَلِيٌّ وَالْعَبَّاسُ ؓ قَاعِدَانِ فَقَالَا يَا أُسَامَةُ اسْتَأْذِنْ لَنَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ هَذَا عَلِيٌّ وَالْعَبَّاسُ بِالْبَابِ يُرِيدَانِ الدُّخُولَ عَلَيْكَ قَالَ «تَدْرِي مَا جَاءَ بِهِمَا؟» قُلْتُ لَا وَاللهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ مَا أَدْرِي وَمَا جَاءَ بِهِمَا قَالَ «وَلَكِنِّي قَدْ عَلِمْتُ مَا جَاءَ بِهِمَا ائْذَنْ لَهُمَا» فَدَخَلَا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ عَلِيٌّ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ جِئْنَا نَسْأَلُكَ أَيُّ أَهْلِكَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ؟ قَالَ «فَاطِمَةُ بِنْتُ مُحَمَّدٍ» ﷺ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ وَاللهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ مَا عَنْ أَهْلِكَ أَسْأَلُكَ قَالَ فَأَحَبُّ أَهْلِي إِلَيَّ مَنْ أَنْعَمَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْهِ أُسَامَةُ قَالَ ثُمَّ مَنْ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ؟ قَالَ «ثُمَّ أَنْتَ» قَالَ الْعَبَّاسُ أَجَعَلْتَ عَمَّكَ آخِرَهُمْ؟ قَالَ «إِنَّ عَلِيًّا سَبَقَكَ بِالْهِجْرَةِ»