It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Behold! Paradise longs for four men among my Companions, and my Lord has commanded me to love them." At this, Sayyiduna Suhayb al-Rumi, Sayyiduna Bilal bin Rabah, Sayyiduna Talhah, Sayyiduna al-Zubayr, Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas, Sayyiduna Hudhayfah bin al-Yaman and Sayyiduna Ammar bin Yasir (may Allah be pleased with them all) came forward (for this honour) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, who are these four, so that we too may love them?" The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Ammar, Allah Almighty has given you knowledge of the hypocrites. As for these four, the first of them is Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), the second Sayyiduna al-Miqdad bin al-Aswad al-Kindi (may Allah be pleased with him), the third Sayyiduna Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him), and the fourth Sayyiduna Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him)."
Imam al-Tabarani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Only al-Dahhak narrated this hadith from al-A'mash, and from Qanbar it is narrated only with this chain; Amir bin Ibrahim is alone in narrating it."