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419 - ʿAbd Allāh narrated to us, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAwn al-Kharrāz—who was trustworthy—narrated to me, saying: Mubārak ibn Saʿīd, Sufyān’s brother, narrated to us, from his father, Saʿīd ibn Masrūq, from Habīb ibn Abī Thābit, from ʿAbd Khayr al-Hamdānī, who said:
I heard ʿAlī say from the pulpit, “Shall I tell you who is the best of this community after its Prophet?” He then named Abū Bakr. Then he said, “Shall I tell you who is second?” He then named ʿUmar. Then he said, “If I wished, I could tell you who is third.” He fell silent, and we thought that he meant himself.
I asked, “Did you yourself hear him say this?” He replied, “Yes, by the Lord of the Kaʿbah.”
٤١٩ - حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَوْنٍ الْخَرَّازُ، وَكَانَ ثِقَةً، قثنا مُبَارَكُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ أَخُو سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَهُوَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ مَسْرُوقٍ، عَنْ حَبِيبِ بْنِ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ خَيْرٍ الْهَمْدَانِيِّ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ عَلِيًّا يَقُولُ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ: أَلَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ بَعْدَ نَبِيِّهَا؟ قَالَ: فَذَكَرَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَلَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِالثَّانِي؟ قَالَ: فَذَكَرَ عُمَرَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: لَوْ شِئْتُ لَأَنْبَأْتُكُمْ بِالثَّالِثِ، قَالَ: وَسَكَتَ، قَالَ: فَرَأَيْنَا أَنَّهُ يَعْنِي نَفْسَهُ، فَقُلْتُ: أَنْتَ سَمِعْتَهُ يَقُولُ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ.