Narrated It was narrated that Wahb as-Suwa`i said:
`Ali (رضي الله عنه) addressed us and said: Who is the best of this ummah after its Prophet ? I said: You, O Ameer al-Mu`mineen. He said: No, the best of this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, then `Umar (رضي الله عنهما), and it would not be far-fetched to suggest that tranquillity was uttered on the lips of `Umar (رضي الله عنه).
Narrated Abu Juhaifah - whom `Ali used to call Wahb al-Khair - said:
‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) said: O Abu Juhaifah, shall I not tell you of the best of this ummah after its Prophet ? I said: Yes indeed, He said: The best of this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, and after Abu Bakr it is ‘Umar (رضي الله عنهما), and after both of them there is a third one - but he did not name him.
Narrated It was narrated that Zirr bin Hubaish said:
’Abdullah bin Mas`ood said: We differed concerning a soorah of the Qur`an and said; (It is) thirty-five verses or thirty-six. We went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and found ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) conversing with him. We said: We have differed concerning the recitation. The face of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) turned red and ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) is telling you to recite it as you were taught.
