Who is the best of this community after its Prophet?

In Fada'il al-Sahaba, Ahmad ibn Hanbal narrates through many chains the statement of Ali ibn Abi Talib that the best of this community after its Prophet are Abu Bakr and then Umar, and the report of Abd Allah ibn Umar that in the Prophet's lifetime they ranked Abu Bakr, then Umar, then Uthman, and then made no further distinction ¹.

Who is the most excellent of the Companions after the Prophet, and in what order? Ahmad devotes a chapter near the start of the book to the saying of Ali and others, "The best of this community after its Prophet are Abu Bakr and Umar", and returns to it in the "Chapter on the best of this community after its Prophet" after the merits of Umar ^{2 3}.

The reports from Ali

Among the best-known routes is that of Abu Juhayfa, who heard Ali say: "Shall I tell you the best of this community after its Prophet? Abu Bakr", then "Shall I tell you the best of this community after Abu Bakr? Umar"; the editor grades Ahmad's chain here as good (hasan) ^{2 4}. In Shu'ba's report from al-Hakam from Abu Juhayfa — a sound chain according to the editor — Ali then asked, "Shall I tell you the best of this community after Umar?" They said yes, and he fell silent ⁵. Reports through Abd Khayr and others add, "Had I wished to name the third I would have named him", and the editor grades one of them good ^{6 7}. In the report of Wahb al-Suwa'i, Ali asked in a sermon who was the best of the community after its Prophet; they said "You", and he said: "No — Abu Bakr, then Umar" ⁸. He is also reported to have said that anyone who preferred him over Abu Bakr and Umar he would flog with the penalty for slander — a report whose chain the editor grades weak ⁹. In the second chapter the reports from Ali recur through many routes, among them that of Awn ibn Abi Juhayfa from his father, who was one of Ali's guards beneath the pulpit: Ali said, the best of this community after its Prophet is Abu Bakr and the second is Umar; God places good where He wills ¹⁰.

The report from Umar

At the start of the "Chapter on the best of this community" Ahmad narrates that people disputed about Abu Bakr and Umar and a man said Umar was better; Umar said that Abu Bakr had been the best of people after the Messenger of God, and threatened anyone who said otherwise with the punishment of a slanderer ¹¹.

The reports from Ibn Umar

Ahmad and his son Abd Allah narrate from Nafi', from Ibn Umar: "In the time of the Messenger of God we used to rank Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman, and then we did not rank anyone above anyone"; the editor grades the chain sound ¹². In another wording, also with a sound chain according to the editor: in the Prophet's time we held no one equal to Abu Bakr, then Umar, then Uthman; then we left off and made no distinction among them ¹³. From Salim, from Ibn Umar: "We used to say, while the Messenger of God was alive: the best of his community after him are Abu Bakr, then Umar, then Uthman" — sound according to the editor ¹⁴. The editor grades weak the route through Abd Allah ibn Umar al-Umari to the same effect, and Muhammad ibn Sirin's report "When we counted the Companions we said: Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman", because of al-Hasan ibn Dinar ¹⁵.

Other reports

Abd Allah narrates from Abu Hurayra (may God be pleased with him): "While the Companions were many, we used to count the best of this community after its Prophet as Abu Bakr and Umar"; the editor grades its chain weak because of Suwayd ibn Sa'id's deterioration and Umar ibn Ubayd's weakness ¹⁶.