History of Khulafah Rashideen by Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti - translated by Abdassamad Clarke

Ibn cAsakir narrated that Anisah said: Abu Bakr was settled among us for three years before he was appointed khalifah and a year afterwards, and the servant girls of the quarter would come to him with their flocks and he would milk them for them.

Ahmad narratd in az-Zuhd that Maymun ibn Mihran said: A man came to Abu Bakr and said, ‘Peace be upon you (as-salamu alaika -the singular form of address) Khalifah of the Messenger of Allah.’ And he said, ‘In among all of these.’ (The man had greeted him exclusively of those present).

Abu Salih al-Ghifari said that cUmar ibn al-Khattab used to take care of an elderly blind woman in one of the outskirts of Madinah at night. He would draw water for her to drink, and would undertake her business. Sometimes when he came to her he would find that someone else had already beaten him to her and done what she wanted. He came to her more than one time so that the other might not beat him to her. cUmar lay in wait for him, and it was Abu Bakr who had come to her, and he was at that time khalifah. cUmar said, ‘You are he, by my life!’ Abu Nucaym and others narrated that cAbd ar-Rahman al-Asbahani said: Al-Hasan ibn cAli came to Abu Bakr when he was upon the minbar of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, ‘Come down from my father’s seat.’ He said, ‘You have told the truth, it is your father’s seat,’ and he placed him in his lap and wept.

'Ali said, ‘By Allah, this was not from my command.’ He said, ‘You have told the truth. By Allah, I did not suspect you.’

Ibn Sacd narrated that Ibn cUmar said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, appointed Abu Bakr to lead the Hajj in the first Hajj of Islam, then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, performed the Hajj the following year. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died and Abu Bakr was appointed khalifah, he put cUmar in charge of leading the Hajj, then Abu Bakr performed the Hajj the following year. When Abu Bakr died and cUmar was appointed khalifah, he put cAbd ar-Rahman ibn cAwf in charge of the Hajj, then cUmar continued to perform the Hajj every year until he died. cUthman was then appointed khalifah, and he put cAbd ar-Rahman ibn cAwf in charge of the Hajj.