I swear by God that till the end of his life we thought that that man was no one other than `Umar b. al-Khattab. Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn `Umar asked me something about him, i.e., 'Umar, and when I informed him, he said, "I never saw anyone after the time when God's messenger was taken who was more earnest or excellent up to the end of his life than `Umar." Bukhari transmitted it.

When `Umar was stabbed he began to suffer, and Ibn `Abbas who seemed to be trying to console him said, "Do not worry about all that. You were a good companion to God's messenger and when he left you, he was pleased with you; you were a good companion to Abu Bakr and when he left you, he was pleased with you; you have been a good companion to the Muslims and if you leave them, you will do so when they are pleased with you." He replied, "As for what you have mentioned about my companionship with God's messenger and his good pleasure, that was simply a favour from God which He bestowed on me; as for what you have mentioned about my companionship with Abu Bakr and his good pleasure, that was simply a favour from God which He bestowed on me; but as for my anxiety which you see, it is on account of you and your companions. I swear by God that if I had as much gold as would fill the earth, I would ransom myself with it from God's punishment before seeing Him." Bukhari transmitted.

Abu Huraira said God's messenger told that while a man was driving a cow, he grew weary and mounted on its back, whereupon it said, "We were not created for this, but only for tilling the ground." The people said, "Glory be to God! Can a cow speak?" and God's messenger replied, "I believe it, as also do Abu Bakr and `Umar, but they were not present at the time. He then told that while a man was shepherding some sheep of his, a wolf attacked one of them and seized it. Its owner caught up on it and rescued it and the wolf said to him, "Who will look after it when the beast of prey's day comes and it has no shepherd but me?" The people said, "Glory be to God! Can a wolf speak?" and he replied, "I believe it, as also do Abu Bakr and `Umar," but they were not present at the time. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

I was standing among some people who made supplication to God for `Umar when he had been placed on his couch[*], and a man behind me who had put his elbow on my shoulder was saying, "God have mercy on you! I hope God may place you along with your two companions, because I often heard God's messenger say, `I, Abu Bakr and `Umar were...', `I, Abu Bakr and `Umar did... `I, Abu Bakr and 'Umar went off...' `I, Abu Bakr and `Umar entered...', `I, Abu Bakr and `Umar went out...'" Ibn `Abbas said that when he turned round, he saw it was `Ali b. Abu b. Talib. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported the Prophet as saying, "The inhabitants of paradise and those of `Illiyin will see one another as you see a sparkling star in the extremities of the sky, and Abu Bakr and `Umar will be among the latter, having been shown special favour." It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna, and Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted something to the same effect.

Anas reported God's messenger as saying, "Abu Bakr and `Umar will be the chiefs of the middle-aged inhabitants of paradise, of those who belonged to earliest and latest times, except the prophets and messengers." Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted it on `Ali's authority.

Hudhaifa reported God's messenger as saying, "I do not know how long I shall remain among you, so copy those two who will remain after I am gone, Abu Bakr and `Umar." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Anas told that when God's messenger entered the mosque no one but Abu Bakr and `Umar raised his head. They would smile to him and he would smile to them.Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.

Ibn `Umar told that the Prophet went out one day and entered the mosque with Abu Bakr and `Umar, one on his right and the other on his left, holding their hands. He said, "We shall be raised thus on the day of resurrection." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan gharib tradition.

`Abdallah b. Hantab told that the Prophet saw Abu Bakr and `Umar and said, "These are hearing and sight[*]."Tirmidhi transmitted it in mursal form.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God's messenger as saying. "There is no prophet who does not have two wazirs from the inhabitants of heaven and two from the inhabitants of the earth. My two wazirs from the inhabitants of heaven are Gabriel and Michael, and my two wazirs from the inhabitants of the earth are Abu Bakr and `Umar." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan gharib tradition.

Abu Bakra told that a man said to God's messenger, "I saw as though a scale descended from the sky. You and Abu Bakr were weighed and you were heavier Abu Bakr and `Umar were weighed and Abu Bakr was heavier; `Umar and `Uthman were weighed and `Umar was heavier; then the scale was taken up." God's messenger was grieved about that, meaning that what the man told him grieved him. He then said, "There will be a caliphate on the model of prophecy, then God will give the kingdom to whom He wills." Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn Mas'ud reported the Prophet as saying, "One who will be one of the inhabitants of paradise will come to you;" then Abu Bakr came along. He then said, "One who will be one of the inhabitants of paradise will come to you;" then `Umar came along. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.

While God's messenger's head was on my lap on a moonlight night I asked, "Messenger of God, has anyone done as many good deeds as there are stars in the sky?" He replied, "Yes„ `Umar has." I asked how Abu Bakr's good deeds compared and he replied, "All `Umar's good deeds are like one of Abu Bakr's good deeds." Razin transmitted it.

God's messenger was lying in his house with his thighs, or his legs, uncovered when Abu Bakr asked permission to enter and he gave him permission while he was in that condition and he conversed. `Umar asked permission to enter and he gave him permission while he was like that and he conversed. Then `Uthman asked permission to enter and God's messenger sat up and arranged his clothing. When he went out 'A'isha said, "Abu Bakr entered and you did not stir for him or worry about him; then `Umar entered and you did not stir for him or worry about him; then `Uthman entered and you sat up and arranged your clothing." He replied, "Shall I not be modest with one towards whom the angels are modest?" In a version he said, "'Uthman is a modest man, and I was afraid that if I allowed him to enter when I was in that state, he might not tell me what he wanted." Muslim transmitted it.

Talha b. `Ubaidallah reported God's messenger as saying, "Every prophet has a companion, and my companion (i.e., in paradise) will be `Uthman." Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted it on Abu Huraira's authority. Tirmidhi said this is a gharib tradition whose isnad is not strong, and is broken.

I was with the Prophet when he was urging the people to help the army of distress[*]. `Uthman got up and said, "Messenger of God, I shall provide a hundred camels with their cloths and saddles in God's path." Afterwards he urged that help be given the army, and `Uthman got up and said, "I shall provide two hundred camels with their cloths and saddles in God' path." Again, he urged and 'Uthman got up and said, "I shall provide three hundred camels with their cloths and saddles in God's path." I saw God's messenger coming down from the pulpit, and he was saying, "Anything he does will not count against `Uthman after this; anything he does will not count against `Uthman after this." *This is a name applied to the expedition to Tabuk in 9 A.H.Tirmidhi transmitted it.

When the Prophet equipped the army of distress `Uthman brought him a thousand dinars in his sleeve and scattered them in his lap; and I saw the Prophet turning them over in his lap and saying twice, "`Uthman will not be injured by anything he does after to-day." Ahmad transmitted it.

When God's messenger gave orders for the oath of allegiance of God's good pleasure[*] `Uthman had gone to Mecca as God's messenger's messenger. Then when the people had taken the oath of allegiance God's messenger said, "`Uthman is engaged in God's business and in His messenger's business." He then struck one of his hands on the other, and God's messenger's hand on behalf of `Uthman was better than the people's hands on their own behalf. *The oath of allegiance al-Hudaibiya. Cf. Quran, 48:18Tirmidhi transmitted it.