´It was narrated that 'Ali said:` "The Messenger of Allah said: 'If I were to appoint anyone as my successor without consulting anyone, I would have appointed Ibn Umm 'Abd.'"
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Some commentators have interpreted "khalifah" here as referring to leadership of a particular army or succession in some other matter, but there is no need for such interpretation or figurative explanation here, because this narration itself is weak.
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 137
Shaykh Dr. Abdur Rahman Freywai
Commentary:
Note:
(In the chain of narration, "Harith al-A'war" is weak, and Abu Ishaq al-Sabi'i is a mudallis and a mukhtalit narrator, and the narration is with 'an'anah.)
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi – Majlis ‘Ilmi Dar al-Da‘wah, New Delhi Edition, Page: 3808