2625 – ʿUbayd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad told us; ʿUthman ibn Ahmad related to us; Hanbal narrated, saying: I also heard Abū ʿAbd Allah—meaning Ahmad—asked about who enjoys the highest rank among the Companions. He replied, “Abu Bakr, then ʿUmar, then ʿUthman. As for the caliphate itself, it was Abu Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthman, and ʿAli, because the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘The caliphate in my community will last thirty years.’”

Ibn ʿUmar said, “In the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ we used to rank them and say: Abu Bakr, then ʿUmar, then ʿUthman.”

Abū ʿAbd Allah concluded, “We do not go beyond the transmitted report and the principle of following. Following is due to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and after him to his Companions when they were in agreement. They themselves preferred some of them over others in just this way, and none found fault with another. Thus our duty is to remain upon what our predecessors were upon and to take them as our model—may Allah be pleased with them.”