2455 – Ismaʿil ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Ismaʿili reported: Ahmad ibn Salman narrated to us; he said: Abu ʿUmar Hilal ibn al-ʿAlaʾ ibn Hilal narrated to us; Abu al-ʿAlaʾ ibn Hilal narrated to us, from Ishaq ibn Yusuf al-Azraq; he said: Abu Sinan narrated to us, from al-Dahhak ibn Muzahim, from al-Nazzal ibn Sabrah, who said:

We met ʿAli one day when he was in cheerful spirits and a pleasant mood. We said to him, “O Commander of the Believers, tell us about your companions in particular.” He replied, “All the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ⦗1373⦘ are my companions.” They said, “Tell us about Abu Bakr al-Siddiq.” He said, “He is a man whom Allah named al-Siddiq (the very truthful) on the tongue of Gabriel and on the tongue of Muhammad. He served as the Messenger of Allah’s deputy in leading the prayer. Allah approved him for our religion, and we were content with him for our worldly affairs.”