Al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 3936 — The virtues of Ali

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Safinah (may Allah be pleased with him), who looked after the provisions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on journeys and at home, that a woman of the Ansar presented two birds placed between two loaves of bread as a gift to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). At that time he (peace and blessings be upon him) was in the mosque, and there was no one in the house except me and Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him). Then when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came and asked for the midday meal, I said: "O Messenger of Allah! A woman has sent a gift for you," and I presented the two birds to him (peace and blessings be upon him). On this occasion the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) made this supplication: "O Allah! Send to me the one from Your creation who is most beloved to You and to Your Messenger" (the narrator says: I think that he (peace and blessings be upon him) also said the words 'to Your Messenger'). Sayyiduna Safinah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Then Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) came and knocked lightly on the door. I asked: "Who is this?" He replied: "Abu al-Hasan." Then he knocked again and raised his voice a little, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Who is this?" I said: "It is Ali." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Open the door for him." So I opened the door, and he ate the meat of those two birds together with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) until they were finished.
Imam Abu Ya'la recorded this narration in his Musnad. The hadith scholars have criticised some narrators in its chain; however, this event of the "Hadith of the Bird" is well known in the science of hadith on account of being narrated through many routes and various chains.