عَنْ عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَنْ يُؤَمَّرُ بَعْدَكَ قَالَ ”إِنْ تُؤَمِّرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ تَجِدُوهُ أَمِينًا زَاهِدًا فِي الدُّنْيَا رَاغِبًا فِي الْآخِرَةِ وَإِنْ تُؤَمِّرُوا عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ تَجِدُوهُ قَوِيًّا أَمِينًا لَا يَخَافُ فِي اللَّهِ لَوْمَةَ لَائِمٍ وَإِنْ تُؤَمِّرُوا عَلِيًّا رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ وَلَا أَرَاكُمْ فَاعِلِينَ تَجِدُوهُ هَادِيًا مَهْدِيًّا يَأْخُذُ بِكُمُ الطَّرِيقَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ“
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that someone said: O Messenger of Allah! After you, whom should we appoint as leader? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: If you appoint Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) as leader, you will find him trustworthy, disinterested in the world and desirous of the Hereafter. And if you appoint Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) as leader, you will find him strong and trustworthy, who will not care about the blame of any blamer for the sake of Allah. And if you appoint Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) as leader—though I do not think you will appoint him—you will find him a guide and rightly guided, who will lead you to the straight path.