and grant him peace—said:

“Were I to take an intimate friend from this community, * I would have taken him, meaning Abū Bakr.”

Muslim also narrated it from Ibn Mas‘ūd, from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—who said:

“Were I to take an intimate friend, * (1) I would have taken Abū Bakr as an intimate friend. But he is my brother and companion, and Allah has taken your companion as an intimate friend.”

Another narration reads:

“Were I to take an intimate friend from among the people of the earth, I would have taken Ibn Abī Quhāfah. But your companion is Allah’s intimate friend.”

Yet another reads:

“Let every intimate friend know that I disclaim his intimate friendship (2). Were I to take an intimate friend, I would have taken Abū Bakr as an intimate friend. Indeed, your companion is Allah’s intimate friend.” (3)

All these texts demonstrate that Abū Bakr was uniquely distinguished by the virtues and merits of companionship, and by maintaining [it] and fulfilling its obligations (4), in ways unmatched by anyone else. Thus, he deserved to be the Prophet’s intimate friend above all others, had taking such a friend been possible.

These texts explicitly establish that he was the most beloved of all people to the Prophet and the best of them in his estimation. He stated this explicitly in the hadith of ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās:

“The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—sent him to command the army of Dhāt al-Salāsil. He said: ‘I came to him and asked, “Whom do you love most?” He replied, “ ‘Ā’ishah.” I asked (5), “And among men?” He replied, “Her father.” I asked, “Then whom?” He replied, “ ‘Umar,” and named several men.’”

In a narration recorded by al-Bukhārī, he said: “Then I remained silent, fearing that he would put me last among them.” (6)