Hadith No: 3
Where are the soldiers - History of Damascus - Letter 'Ayn
3398 - Abdullah, also known as Atiq ibn Uthman ibn Quhafah ibn Amir ibn Amr ibn Kab ibn Sa'id ibn Taym ibn Murrah ibn Kab ibn Lu'ay, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq
Volume: (30) - Page Number: (360/361)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... As for the narration of Anas, it was reported to us by Abu al-Qasim ibn al-Samarkandi, who said: Abu Muhammad al-Sarifini narrated to me, saying: Abu Hafs Umar ibn Ibrahim al-Muqri narrated to us, from Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Jayyish ibn Dinar al-Mu'tadil, who said: Muhammad ibn al-Sari ibn Sahl al-Quntri narrated to us, from Yahya ibn Shabib, from Humayid and Dinar, who said:
Anas narrated to us, saying: A man came to Ali ibn Abi Talib and said: "O best of people after the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny)". He replied, "I saw Abu Bakr and Umar." The man said, "No." He said, "If you had said that you saw them, I would have specified it for you." Then he said, "The best of this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr and Umar.
We are a household that no one can be compared to."