The Virtue of Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra) Sunan Ibn Majah 95
Arabic hadith text
حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عُمَارَةَ، عَنْ فِرَاسٍ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنِ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ سَيِّدَا كُهُولِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ مِنَ الأَوَّلِينَ وَالآخِرِينَ إِلاَّ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ لاَ تُخْبِرْهُمَا يَا عَلِيُّ مَا دَامَا حَيَّيْنِ "
Translation
It was narrated that 'Ali said
"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Abu Bakr and 'Umar are the leaders of the mature people of Paradise, and the first and the last, except for the Prophets and Messengers, but do not tell them about that, O 'Ali, as long as they are still alive.'"