(The preference of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, for Hazrat Usama ibn Zaid, may Allah be pleased with them, over Hazrat Abbas and Ali, may Allah be pleased with them)

Usama told that while he was sitting Ali and al-'Abbas came to ask permission to enter. They told him to ask God's messenger for permission to enter, and he said, "Messenger of God, `Ali and al-`Abbas are asking permission to enter." He asked if he knew what had brought them, and when he replied that he did not, he said, "But I know; give them permission." Then when they entered, they said, "Messenger of God, we have come to ask you which member of your family is dearest to you." On his replying, "Fatima, Muhammad's daughter," they said, "We have not come to ask you about your immediate family," so he said, "The member of my family who is dearest to me is he to whom God has shown favor and to whom I have shown favor, viz. Usama b. Zaid." They asked who came next, and when he replied that it was `Ali b. Abu Talib, al-`Abbas said, "Messenger of God, you have made your paternal uncle the last of them." He replied, "`Ali emigrated before you." Tirmidhi transmitted it. In the book on Zakat it has been mentioned that a man's paternal uncle is of the same stock as his father.