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43 — ‘Abdullāh narrated to us, saying: Zakariyyā ibn Yahyā ibn Sabīh, Zahmawayh, narrated to me: ‘Umar ibn Mujāshi‘ narrated to us, from Abū Ishāq, from ‘Abd Khayr, who said: I heard ‘Alī say from the pulpit:
“The best of this community after its Prophet are Abū Bakr and ‘Umar. And if I wished to name the third, I would have named him.”
A man said to Abū Ishāq: “They say that you say, ‘Superior in evil.’” He replied: “Khayr (best)—khā’, yā’, rā’.”
٤٣ - حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي زَكَرِيَّا بْنُ يَحْيَى بْنِ صَبِيحٍ زَحْمَوَيْهُ قثنا عُمَرُ بْنُ مُجَاشِعٍ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ خَيْرٍ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ عَلِيًّا يَقُولُ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ: خَيْرُ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ بَعْدَ نَبِيِّهَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ، وَلَوْ شِئْتُ أَنْ أُسَمِّيَ الثَّالِثَ لَسَمَّيْتُهُ. فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ لِأَبِي إِسْحَاقَ: إِنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّكَ تَقُولُ: أَفْضَلُ فِي الشَّرِّ، قَالَ: خَيْرٌ، خ ي ر.