245 – ʿAbd Allāh narrated to us, saying: Muhammad ibn ʿAbd al-Rahīm al-Bazzāz, Abū Yahyā Sāʿiqa—who was trustworthy—narrated to me, saying: Saʿīd ibn Sulaymān informed us, saying: Muhammad ibn ʿAbd al-Rahmān ibn Abī Mulayka narrated to us, saying: Jaʿfar ibn Muhammad narrated to us, from his father, from his grandfather, from ʿAlī, who said:

While I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Abū Bakr and ʿUmar appeared. He said: “O ʿAlī, these two are the leaders of the middle-aged men of Paradise, apart from the prophets and messengers.”