284 - ʿAbd Allāh narrated to us, saying: My father narrated to me, saying: Aswad ibn ʿĀmir narrated to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Hamīd ibn Abī Jaʿfar—that is, al-Farrā’—narrated to me, from Isrā’īl, from Abū Ishāq, from Zayd ibn Yuthayʿ, from ʿAlī, who said: It was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, who should be appointed as leader after you?” He said:

“If you appoint Abū Bakr, you will find him trustworthy, detached from this world and eager for the Hereafter. If you appoint ʿUmar, you will find him strong and trustworthy, fearing no one’s reproach in Allah’s cause. If you appoint ʿAlī—though I do not think you will—you will find him a rightly guided guide who will lead you along the straight path.”