Shall I not tell you of the best of this ummah after its Prophet (ﷺ)? [It is] Abu Bakr, then ʻUmar (رضي الله عنهما).

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The warner and the guide is a man from Banu Hashim.`

When the fighting grew intense on the day of Badr, we sought shelter by drawing close to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), who was one of the strongest of the people, and no one was closer to the mushrikeen than him.

It was narrated from `Ali bin Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) that The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade garments made from a blend of linen and silk, or garments dyed with safflower, wearing gold rings and reciting Qur`an whilst bowing.

‘Ali said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade me to wear garments dyed with safflower, or garments made from a blend of linen and silk, or gold rings, and reciting Qur`an whilst bowing.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) told me to sell two slaves who were brothers, so I sold them and separated them, I mentioned that to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he said: `Go and take them back, and only sell them together; do not separate them.”

I saw ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) doing wudoo`. He washed his hands until they were clean, then he rinsed his mouth three times, then he rinsed his nose three times; he washed his face three times and his forearms three times; he wiped his head and washed his feet up to the ankles. And he took the leftover water and drank it whilst standing. Then he said: I wanted to show you how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did wudoo`‘Abd Khair narrated a hadeeth like that of Abu Hayyah from `Ali, except that ’Abd Khair said: When he finished his wudoo’, he took some of the leftover water in his hand and drank it.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade sacrificing an animal that has lost most of its horn or ear. Qatadah said: I mentioned that to Sa’eed bin al-Musayyab and he said. [That refers to] one that has lost half or more (of its horn or ear).

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade me to wear gold rings, to wear garments made from a blend of linen and silk, and to use red saddlecloths.

I saw ‘Ali urinate in ar-Rahbah. (Then) he called for water and did wudoo’. He washed his hands three times, rinsed his mouth and nose three times, washed his face three times, washed his forearms three times each, wiped his head and washed his feet three times each. Then he stood up and drank from the leftover water, then he said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) do what you have seen me do, and I wanted to show it to you.

`Alqamah bin Qais struck this minbar and said: ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) addressed us from this minbar, he praised and glorified Allah, and said what Allah willed that he should say, and he said:The best of this ummah after the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) is Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both. Then we got involved in events and Allah will decide concerning that.

I heard ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) say: The best of this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was neither short not tall; he had a large head and beard, large hands and feet, large joints, a reddish face, and a long line of hair from his chest to his navel. When he walked he walked energetically, as if lifting his feet from a rock. I have never seen anyone like him before or since, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him.

I thought that ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) was the best of the people after the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)... and he quoted the hadeeth. I said: No by Allah, O Ameer al-Mu`mineen, I did not think that any of the Muslims after the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was better than you. He said: Shall I not tell you of the best of the people after the Messenger of Allah? I said: Yes. He said: Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه). Then he said: Shall I not tell you of the best of the people after the Messenger of Allah and Abu Bakr? I said: Yes. He said: `Umar (رضي الله عنه).

from ‘Abd Khair. I heard him say: `Ali (رضي الله عنه) stood on the minbar and mentioned the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) died and Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) was appointed as his successor, and he did what he had done and followed in his footsteps, and persisted in doing so until Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, took his soul in death. Then ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه) was appointed as his successor and he did what they had done and followed in their footsteps, and persisted in doing so until Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, took his soul in death.

Bismillah (in the Name of Allah). When he got on his mount, he said: Al-Hamdu Lillah. `Glory be to the One Who has placed this (transport) at our service and we ourselves would not have been capable of that, and to our Lord is our final destiny` [Az-Zukhruf 43:13,14]. Abu Sa’eed, the freed slave of Banu Hashim, said: Then he said Al-Hamdu Lillah three times and Allahu Akbar three times, then he said Subhan Allah three times. Then he said: There is no god but You. Then he [the narrator] went back to the hadeeth of Wakee’ and said: Glory be to You, I have wronged myself, so forgive me; no one forgives sins but You. Then he smiled, and I said: What made you smile? He said: I was riding behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he did what you have seen me do, then he smiled and I said: What made you smile, O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)? He said: `Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, says: How remarkable is My slave; He knows that no one forgives sin except Me.`

l fell sick and the Prophet (ﷺ) came to me when I was saying: O Allah, if my time has come then grant me relief; if it has not yet come then heal me or grant me well being, and if this is a trial then grant me patience. He said: `What did you say?` I repeated it to him, then he touched me with his hand and said: `O Allah, heal him” or “grant him well being.” And I never suffered that sickness again after that.

It was narrated from ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to wake his family up during the last ten (nights of Ramadan).

I heard ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) say: Allah took His Prophet in the best way any Prophet was ever taken, then Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) was appointed as his successor and he did what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had done and followed the Sunnah of his Prophet, and `Umar (رضي الله عنه) was appointed and did likewise.

I heard ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) saying on the minbar: The best of this ummah after its Prophet are Abu Bakr and ʻUmar, and if l wanted to name the third one, I would name him. A man said to Abu lshaq: They are saying that you say they were the best in evil. He said: Are you a Haroori (i.e.Khariji)?`