381 – ‘Abdullāh narrated to us: Yūsuf ibn Abī Umayya al-Thaqafī narrated to me in Kufa in the year 230 AH, saying: . . . . . . narrated to us, saying: Yūnus ibn ‘Ubayd narrated to us, from al-Hasan, who said:

One day—or one night—Abū Mūsā al-Ash‘arī said: “‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb’s embrace of Islam was a source of strength, and his rule brought victory. Between his eyes was an angel who guided him aright. He was al-Fārūq—the one who distinguished truth from falsehood—and the Quran was revealed confirming his judgment.”

A man from Banū Sulaym named Haramī said: “Abū Bakr was better than him.” Abū Mūsā repeated his words, and the Sulamī man repeated his reply three times.

When they returned, he went to ‘Umar and told him what had happened. ‘Umar said: “One night of Abū Bakr’s life is better than ‘Umar’s entire lifetime, and one day of Abū Bakr’s life is better than ‘Umar’s entire lifetime. His day was the day the Arabs apostatized, and his night was the night in the cave, when he shielded the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with his own person.”