Ahli Sunnah sepakat bahawa sebaik-baik manusia selepas Rasulullah ﷺ ialah Abu Bakar, kemudian Umar, kemudian Uthman, kemudian Ali, kemudian selebihnya daripada sepuluh orang (yang diberi khabar gembira tentang Syurga oleh Nabi ﷺ), kemudian selebihnya daripada ahli Badar, kemudian selebihnya daripada ahli Uhud, kemudian selebihnya daripada ahli Bai'atur-Ridhwan (Hudaibiyyah), kemudian selebihnya daripada para Sahabat. Abu Mansur al-Baghdadi meriwayatkan bahawa terdapat ijmak mengenai perkara ini.

I he people of the Sunnah are unanimous that the best of mankind niter the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, were Abu Bakr, then cUmar, then cUthman, then cAli, then the rest of the ten (who were given the good news of the Garden by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace), then the rest of the people of Badr, then the rest of the people of Uhud, then the rest of the people of the oath of allegiance (of Hudaybiyyah), I hen the rest of the Companions. Abu Mansur al-Baghdadi relates that there is consensus on this.

Al-Bukhari meriwayatkan bahawa Ibn cUmar berkata, ‘Kami dahulu membuat perbandingan antara manusia pada zaman Rasulullah ﷺ, lalu kami memilih Abu Bakar, kemudian cUmar (ibn al-Khattab), kemudian cUthman (ibn cAffan), semoga Allah meredai mereka semua.’ At-Tabarani menambah dalam al-Kabir, ‘Dan Nabi ﷺ mengetahui perkara itu tetapi tidak menafikannya.’ Ibn cAsakir meriwayatkan bahawa Ibn cUmar berkata: Kami, ketika Rasulullah ﷺ berada di tengah-tengah kami, dahulu mengutamakan Abu Bakar, cUmar, cUthman dan cAli.

Al-Bukhari narrated that Ibn cUmar said, ‘We were choosing between people in the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so we chose Abu Bakr, then cUmar (ibn al-Khattab), then cUthman (ibn cAffan) may Allah be pleased with them all.’ At-Tabarani added, in al-Kabir, ‘And the Prophet came to know of that but did not deny it.’ I bn cAsakir narrated that Ibn cUmar said: We, while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was among us, used to prefer Abu Bakr, cUmar, cUthman and cAli.

Ibn 'Asakir meriwayatkan bahawa Abu Hurayrah berkata: Kami, kumpulan para Sahabat Rasulullah ﷺ, ketika kami berjumlah ramai, biasa berkata, "Sebaik-baik umat ini selepas Nabinya ﷺ ialah Abu Bakr, kemudian 'Umar, dan kemudian 'Uthman," dan selepas itu kami akan diam. At-Tirmidhi meriwayatkan bahawa Jabir ibn 'Abdullah berkata: 'Umar berkata kepada Abu Bakr, "Wahai sebaik-baik manusia selepas Rasulullah ﷺ." Abu Bakr berkata, "Jika kamu berkata begitu, maka aku telah mendengar baginda ﷺ bersabda, 'Matahari tidak pernah terbit ke atas seorang lelaki yang lebih baik daripada 'Umar.'" Al-Bukhari meriwayatkan bahawa Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib berkata:

Ibn cAsakir narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: We, the gatherings of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while we were considerable numbers, used to say, ‘The best of this ummah after its Prophet are Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar, and then cUthman,’ and then we would be silent.’ At-Tirmidhi narrated that Jabir ibn cAbdullah said: cUmar said to Abu Bakr, ‘O best of mankind after the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘If you say that, then I heard him saying, “The sun has not risen over a better man than cUmar.’” Al-Bukhari narrated that Muhammad ibn cAli ibn Abi Talib said:

Saya berkata kepada bapa saya, ‘Siapakah manusia yang terbaik selepas Nabi ﷺ, semoga Allah memberkatinya dan mengurniakan kesejahteraan kepadanya?’ Beliau menjawab, ‘Abu Bakar.’ Saya bertanya, ‘Kemudian siapa?’ Beliau menjawab, ‘cUmar.’ Saya bimbang beliau akan menyebut cUthman, lalu saya berkata, ‘Kemudian kamu?’ Beliau menjawab, ‘Aku ini tidak lain hanyalah seorang lelaki di antara orang-orang Islam.’ Ahmad dan yang lain meriwayatkan bahawa cAli berkata: Manusia yang terbaik dalam umat ini selepas Nabi kita ﷺ ialah Abu Bakar dan cUmar. Adh-Dhahabi berkata: Ini adalah mutawatir daripada cAli. Semoga Allah melaknat ar-Rafidah (secara harfiah ‘golongan yang menolak’, iaitu Syiah), alangkah jahilnya mereka! At-Tirmidhi dan al-Hakim meriwayatkan bahawa cUmar bin al-Khattab berkata: Abu Bakar, tuan kami, orang yang terbaik antara kami dan yang paling dikasihi oleh Nabi ﷺ, semoga Allah memberkatinya dan mengurniakan kesejahteraan kepadanya, telah bersabda, \ .

I said to my father, ‘Who is the best of mankind after the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?’ He said, ‘Abu Bakr.’ I said, ‘Then who?’ He said, ‘cUmar.’ I was afraid that he would say cUthman so I said, ‘Then you?’ He said, ‘I am nobody but a man among the Muslims.’ Ahmad and others narrated that cAli said: The best of this ummah after our Prophet are Abu Bakr and cUmar. Adh-Dhahabi said: This is mutawatir5 from cAli, so may Allah curse ar-Rafidah (literally ‘the rejectors’ i.e. the Shicah), how ignorant they are! At-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim narrated that cUmar ibn al-Khattab said: Abu Bakr, our master, the best of us and the most beloved to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, \ .

Ibn 'Asakir meriwayatkan bahawa 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Layla berkata bahawa 'Umar naik ke mimbar lalu berkata, "Sesungguhnya orang yang terbaik dalam umat ini selepas Nabi kami ﷺ ialah Abu Bakr. Sesiapa yang berkata selain itu adalah pereka dusta. Semoga ke atasnya apa yang menimpa pereka dusta." Dia juga meriwayatkan bahawa Ibn Abi Layla berkata: 'Ali berkata, "Sesiapa yang mengutamakan aku atas Abu Bakr dan 'Umar, akan aku sebat dengan hukuman hadd yang wajib ke atas pereka dusta." 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Humayd, dalam Musnadnya, serta Abu Nu'aym dan lain-lain meriwayatkan melalui jalur periwayatan yang berbeza, bahawa Abu'd-Darda' berkata bahawa Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda, "Matahari tidak terbit dan tidak terbenam ke atas seseorang yang lebih baik daripada Abu Bakr, kecuali dia seorang nabi." Dalam riwayat yang lafaznya berbeza, "...ke atas mana-mana orang Islam, selepas para nabi dan rasul, yang lebih baik daripada Abu Bakr." Ia juga diriwayatkan sebagai hadis daripada Jabir, dengan lafaz, "Matahari tidak terbit ke atas seorang pun daripada kamu yang lebih baik daripadanya." Al-Tabarani dan lain-lain meriwayatkannya. Terdapat juga teks-teks lain yang menyokongnya dari sudut-sudut lain, yang mensyaratkan ia mestilah hadis sahih atau hasan. Ibn Kathir menyatakan bahawa pandangannya ialah ia adalah sahih.

Ibn cAsakir narrated that cAbd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Layla said that cUmar ascended the minbar and said, ‘Definitely the best of this ummah after our Prophet is Abu Bakr. Whoever says anything else is an inventor of falsehood. May there be upon him that which is upon the inventor of falsehood.’ He also narrated that Ibn Abi Layla said: cAli said, ‘Anyone who prefers me over Abu Bakr and cUmar, I will lash with the hadd punishment due to the inventor of falsehood.’ cAbd ar-Rahman ibn Humayd, in his Musnad, and Abu Nucaym and others narrated with different paths of transmission that Abu’d-Darda’, said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘The sun has not risen nor has it set over anyone better than Abu Bakr, unless he were a prophet.’ In a differently worded version, . .over any of the Muslims, after the prophets and messengers, better than Abu Bakr.’ It has also been transmitted as a hadith of Jabir, in its wording is, ‘The sun has not risen over anyone of you better than him.’ At-Tabarani and others narrated it. There are other texts which support it from other angles uikI which require that it be a sahih or hasan hadith. Ibn Kathir Indicated that his judgement was that it is sound.

At-Tabarani meriwayatkan bahawa Salamah ibn al-Akwa' berkata: Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda, "Abu Bakr as-Siddiq ialah sebaik-baik manusia, kecuali seorang nabi." Dan dalam al-Awsat, bahawa Sa'd ibn Zurarah berkata: Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda, "Ruh al-Qudus, Jibril, memberitahu aku bahawa, 'Sebaik-baik umatmu selepas kamu ialah Abu Bakr.'" Dua orang Syaikh (al-Bukhari dan Muslim) meriwayatkan: 'Amr ibn al-'As berkata: Aku bertanya, "Wahai Rasulullah, siapakah antara manusia yang paling engkau cintai?" Baginda menjawab, "'A'ishah." Aku bertanya, "Dari kalangan lelaki?" Baginda menjawab, "Bapanya." Aku bertanya, "Kemudian siapa?" Baginda menjawab, "Kemudian 'Umar ibn al-Khattab." Hadis ini juga diriwayatkan tanpa perkataan, "Kemudian 'Umar," dalam riwayat-riwayat daripada Anas, Ibn 'Amr dan Ibn 'Abbas.

At-Tabarani narrated that Salamah ibn al-Akwac said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Abu Bakr as-Siddiq is the best of mankind, unless it be a prophet.’ And in al-Awsat that Sacd ibn Zurarah said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘The Ruh ill-Quds, Jibril, informed me that, “The best of your ummah after you is Abu Bakr.’” I he two Shaykhs cAmr ibn al-cAs said: I said, ‘Messenger of Allah, which of the people is most beloved to you?’ He said, ‘cA’ishah.’ I said, ‘Of the men?’ He said, ‘Her father.’ I said, ‘Then who?’ He said, ‘Then cUmar ibn al-Khattab.’ This hadith has been narrated without, ‘Then TJmar,’ in narrations of Anas, Ibn cAmr and Ibn 'Abbas.

At-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i dan al-Hakim meriwayatkan bahawa 'Abdullah bin Shaqiq berkata: Aku bertanya kepada 'A'ishah, "Siapakah antara sahabat Rasulullah ﷺ yang paling dicintai oleh Rasulullah ﷺ?" Beliau menjawab, "Abu Bakr." Aku bertanya, "Kemudian siapa?" Beliau menjawab, "Kemudian 'Umar." Aku bertanya, "Kemudian siapa?" Beliau menjawab, "Kemudian Abu 'Ubaydah bin al-Jarrah." At-Tirmidhi dan lain-lain meriwayatkan bahawa Anas berkata: Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda tentang Abu Bakr dan 'Umar, "Kedua-duanya ialah penghulu orang dewasa dalam kalangan penghuni Syurga, daripada golongan terdahulu dan terkemudian, kecuali para nabi dan para rasul." Beliau juga meriwayatkan yang serupa dengannya daripada 'Ali.

At-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa’i and al-Hakim narrated that cAbdullah ibn Shaqiq said: I said to cA’ishah, ‘Which of the companions of the Messenger of Allah were most beloved to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?’ She said, ‘Abu Bakr.’ I said, ‘Then who?’ She said, ‘Then cUmar.’ I said, ‘Then who?’ She said, ‘Abu TJbaydah ibn al-Jarrah.’ At-Tirmidhi and others narrated that Anas said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said about Abu Bakr and cUmar, ‘These two are the lords of the mature adults of t he people of the Garden, of the first ones and the last ones, except for the prophets and the messengers.’ He recorded the like of it from cAli.

Dalam bahagian ini terdapat hadis daripada Ibn 'Abbas, Ibn 'Umar, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri dan Jabir bin 'Abdullah.

In this section there are hadith from Ibn cAbbas, Ibn cUmar, Abu Sacid al-Khudri and Jabir ibn cAbdullah.

At-Tabarani meriwayatkan dalam al-Awsat bahawa cAmmar bin Yasir berkata:

At-Tabarani narrated in al-Awsat that cAmmar ibn Yasir said:

Sesiapa yang mengutamakan mana-mana sahabat Rasulullah ﷺ ke atas Abu Bakr dan Umar, maka dia telah merendahkan kaum Muhajirin dan Ansar.

Whoever preferred anyone of the companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, over Abu Bakr and TJmar has belittled the Muhajirun and the Ansar.

Ibnu Sa'id meriwayatkan bahawa az-Zuhri berkata: Nabi ﷺ bersabda kepada Hassan bin Thabit, "Adakah engkau ada mengatakan sesuatu tentang Abu Bakar?" Beliau menjawab, "Ya." Baginda bersabda, "Katakanlah, dan aku akan mendengarnya." Beliau berkata, "Dan 'yang kedua daripada dua' di dalam gua yang mulia, Musuh mengelilinginya apabila dia mendaki gunung."

Ibn Sacid narrated that az-Zuhri said: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to Hassan ibn Thabit, ‘Have you said anything about Abu Bakr?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Say it and I will listen.’ He said, ‘And the “second of the two” in the glorious cave, The enemy went round about it when he ascended the mountain.

Kasih sayang Rasulullah ﷺ (kepada mereka) telah sedia mereka ketahui, Dia tidak menyamakan seorang pun dengan mana-mana lelaki.’ Lalu Nabi ﷺ ketawa sehingga kelihatan gigi geraham baginda, kemudian baginda bersabda, ‘Engkau benar, wahai Hassan; baginda seperti yang engkau katakan.’

The love of the Messenger of Allah (for him) they already knew, Of people he held not equal any man.’ And the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, laughed until his back teeth were visible, then said, ‘You have told the truth, Hassan; he is as you say.’