Tirmidhi Book 49, Hadith 3660

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ،‏‏‏‏ عَنْ أَبِي النَّضْرِ،‏‏‏‏ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ حُنَيْنٍ،‏‏‏‏ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ جَلَسَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ إِنَّ عَبْدًا خَيَّرَهُ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ أَنْ يُؤْتِيَهُ مِنْ زَهْرَةِ الدُّنْيَا مَا شَاءَ وَبَيْنَ مَا عِنْدَهُ،‏‏‏‏ فَاخْتَارَ مَا عِنْدَهُ ،‏‏‏‏ فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ:‏‏‏‏ فَدَيْنَاكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ بِآبَائِنَا وَأُمَّهَاتِنَا،‏‏‏‏ قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ فَعَجِبْنَا،‏‏‏‏ فَقَالَ النَّاسُ:‏‏‏‏ انْظُرُوا إِلَى هَذَا الشَّيْخِ يُخْبِرُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ عَنْ عَبْدٍ خَيَّرَهُ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ أَنْ يُؤْتِيَهُ مِنْ زَهْرَةِ الدُّنْيَا مَا شَاءَ وَبَيْنَ مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ،‏‏‏‏ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ:‏‏‏‏ فَدَيْنَاكَ بِآبَائِنَا وَأُمَّهَاتِنَا،‏‏‏‏ قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ فَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ هُوَ الْمُخَيَّرُ وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ هُوَ أَعْلَمَنَا بِهِ،‏‏‏‏ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:‏‏‏‏ إِنَّ مِنْ أَمَنِّ النَّاسِ عَلَيَّ فِي صُحْبَتِهِ وَمَالِهِ أَبُو بَكْرٍ،‏‏‏‏ وَلَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا خَلِيلًا لَاتَّخَذْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ خَلِيلًا،‏‏‏‏ وَلَكِنْ أُخُوَّةُ الْإِسْلَامِ لَا تُبْقَيَنَّ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ خَوْخَةٌ إِلَّا خَوْخَةُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى:‏‏‏‏ هَذَا حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ.

Narrated Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sat upon the Minbar and said: 'Indeed a worshiper has been given a choice by Allah, between Him giving him from the bounty of this life as much as he wishes, and between what is with Him. So he chose what is with Him.' So Abu Bakr said: 'We will ransom our fathers and mothers for you O Messenger of Allah!' He said: So we were amazed. Then the people said: 'Look at this old man. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) informs about a worshiper whom Allah gave the choice, between Him giving him from the bounty of this life as much as he wishes, and between that which is with Allah, and he says: 'We will ransom our fathers and mothers for you?' But the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was the one given the choice, and Abu Bakr was the most knowledgeable of it among them. So the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'From those who were most beneficial to me among the people in their companionship and their wealth was Abu Bakr. And if I were to take a Khalil, I would would have taken Abu Bakr as a Khalil. But rather, the brotherhood of Islam. Let there not remain a door in the Masjid except the door of Abu Bakr.'