Sahih al-Bukhari
Sahih al-Bukhari 3658
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ، قَالَ كَتَبَ أَهْلُ الْكُوفَةِ إِلَى ابْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ فِي الْجَدِّ. فَقَالَ أَمَّا الَّذِي قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا مِنْ هَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ خَلِيلاً لاَتَّخَذْتُهُ ". أَنْزَلَهُ أَبًا يَعْنِي أَبَا بَكْرٍ.
Sulayman ibn Harb reported to us: Hammad ibn Zayd informed us, from Ayyub, from ‘Abd Allah ibn Abi Mulaykah, who said: The people of Kufa wrote to Ibn al-Zubayr concerning the grandfather. He replied: ‘As for what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If I were to take an intimate friend from this community, I would take him as an intimate friend”—he regarded him as a father, meaning Abu Bakr.’