(حديث مرفوع) حَدَّثَنَا
أَسْوَدُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ ، حَدَّثَنِي
عَبْدُ الْحَمِيدِ بْنُ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ يَعْنِي الْفَرَّاءَ ، عَنْ
إِسْرَائِيلَ ، عَنْ
أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ ، عَنْ
زَيْدِ بْنِ يُثَيْعٍ ، عَنْ
عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ ، قَالَ : قِيلَ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، مَنْ نُؤَمَّرُ بَعْدَكَ ؟ قَالَ : " إِنْ تُؤَمِّرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ ، تَجِدُوهُ أَمِينًا ، زَاهِدًا فِي الدُّنْيَا ، رَاغِبًا فِي الْآخِرَةِ ، وَإِنْ تُؤَمِّرُوا عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ تَجِدُوهُ قَوِيًّا أَمِينًا ، لَا يَخَافُ فِي اللَّهِ لَوْمَةَ لَائِمٍ ، وَإِنْ تُؤَمِّرُوا عَلِيًّا رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ ، وَلَا أُرَاكُمْ فَاعِلِينَ ، تَجِدُوهُ هَادِيًا مَهْدِيًّا ، يَأْخُذُ بِكُمْ الطَّرِيقَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ " .
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that once someone asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): O Messenger of Allah! After you, whom should we appoint as our leader? He replied: "If you appoint Abu Bakr as leader, you will find him trustworthy, disinterested in the world, and eager for the Hereafter. If you appoint Umar as leader, you will find him strong and trustworthy; he does not care about the blame of any blamer in the matter of Allah. And if you appoint Ali as leader—but I think you will not do so—you will find him a guide and rightly guided, who will lead you on the straight path."