Fath al-Rabbani

It is narrated from Abdu Khair Hamdani, he says: I heard Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), he was seated on the pulpit and was saying: O people! Shall I not tell you who is the most virtuous in this Ummah after the Prophet? Then he mentioned the name of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). Then he said: Shall I not tell you about the man who is second in rank in the Ummah after the Prophet? Then he himself mentioned the name of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). And then he said: If I wish, I can tell you about the man who is third in rank. Abdu Khair says that after saying this, he remained silent. We understood that he was referring to himself. I asked him, did you yourself hear the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saying this? He said: Yes, by the Lord of the Ka'bah! If I did not hear it myself, may these ears of mine become deaf.