۔عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللّٰہِ أَنَّہُ کَانَ یُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللّٰہِ صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم قَالَ أُرِیَ اللَّیْلَۃَ رَجُلٌ صَالِحٌ أَنَّ أَبَا بَکْرٍ نِیطَ بِرَسُولِ اللّٰہِ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ وَنِیطَ عُمَرُ بِأَبِی بَکْرٍ وَنِیطَ عُثْمَانُ بِعُمَرَ قَالَ جَابِرٌ فَلَمَّا قُمْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ رَسُولِ اللّٰہِ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ قُلْنَا أَمَّا الرَّجُلُ الصَّالِحُ فَرَسُولُ اللّٰہِ صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم وَأَمَّا ذِکْرُ رَسُولِ اللّٰہِ صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم مِنْ نَوْطِ بَعْضِہِمْ لِبَعْضٍ فَہُمْ وُلَاۃُ ہٰذَا الْأَمْرِ الَّذِی بَعَثَ اللّٰہُ بِہِ نَبِیَّہُ صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم۔
Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw a dream at night that there is a righteous man, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) became attached to him, then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) became attached to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) became attached to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) says: When we heard this and stood up from the presence of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), we said: The righteous man is the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and those who became attached to him one after another are meant to be the guardians and caliphs of this religion, with which Allah Almighty sent His Prophet.