that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "I free myself of the friendship of every Khalil, and if I were to take a Khalil then I would have taken Ibn Abi Quhafah as a Khalil. And indeed your companion is Allah's Khalil."  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَبْرَأُ إِلَى كُلِّ خَلِيلٍ مِنْ خِلِّهِ وَلَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا خَلِيلاً لاَتَّخَذْتُ ابْنَ أَبِي قُحَافَةَ خَلِيلاً وَإِنَّ صَاحِبَكُمْ خَلِيلُ اللَّهِ  

"Abu Bakr is our chief, and the best of us, and the most beloved of us to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ."  

أَبُو بَكْرٍ سَيِّدُنَا وَخَيْرُنَا وَأَحَبُّنَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ  

"I said to 'Aishah: 'Which of the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ were the most beloved to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' She said: 'Abu Bakr.' I said: 'Then who?' She said: ''Umar.' I said: "Then who?' She said: 'Then Abu 'Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah.'" He said: "I said: 'Then who?''" He said: "Then she was silent."  

قُلْتُ لِعَائِشَةَ أَىُّ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ قَالَتْ أَبُو بَكْرٍ قُلْتُ ثُمَّ مَنْ قَالَتْ عُمَرُ قُلْتُ ثُمَّ مَنْ قَالَتْ ثُمَّ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ قُلْتُ ثُمَّ مَنْ قَالَ فَسَكَتَتْ قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ  

that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Indeed the people of the higher levels, will be seen by those who are beneath them like the stars which appear far off in the sky. And indeed Abu Bakr and 'Umar are among them, and they have done well."  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ أَهْلَ الدَّرَجَاتِ الْعُلَى لَيَرَاهُمْ مَنْ تَحْتَهُمْ كَمَا تَرَوْنَ النَّجْمَ الطَّالِعَ فِي أُفُقِ السَّمَاءِ وَإِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَأَنْعَمَا