Hadith 4627
Ibn Umar said: We used to say in the times of the Prophet ﷺ: We do not compare anyone with Abu Bakr. Umar came next and then Uthman. We then would leave (rest of) the companions of the Prophet ﷺ without treating any as superior to other.
Hadith 4628
Ibn Umar said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was alive, we used to say: The most excellent member of the community of the Prophet ﷺ after himself is Abu Bakr, then Umar, then Uthman.
Hadith 4629
Muhammad bin al-Hanafiyyah said: I said to my father: Which of the people after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is best? He replied: Abu Bakr. I then asked: Who comes next? He said: Umar. I was then afraid of asking him who came next, and he might mention Uthman, so I said: You came next, O my father? He said: I am only a man among the Muslims.
Hadith 4630
حَدَّثَنَا
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مِسْكِينٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا
مُحَمَّدٌ يَعْنِي الْفِرْيَابِيَّ ، قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ
سُفْيَانَ ، يَقُولُ : " مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام كَانَ أَحَقَّ بِالْوِلَايَةِ مِنْهُمَا فَقَدْ خَطَّأَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ ، وَعُمَرَ ، وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ ، وَالْأَنْصَارَ ، وَمَا أُرَاهُ يَرْتَفِعُ لَهُ مَعَ هَذَا عَمَلٌ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ " .
Muhammad al-Firyabl said: I heard Sufyan say: If anyone thinks that ‘All (Allah be pleased with him) was more deserving for the Caliphate than both of them, he imputed error to Abu Bakr, Umar, the Muhajirun (Immigrants), and the Ansar (Helpers) Allah be pleased with all of them. I think that with this (belief) none of his action will rise to the heaven.
Hadith 4631
Sufyan al-Thawri said: The Caliphs are five: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, ‘All and Umar bin Abd al-Aziz.