I heard ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) say: Allah took His Prophet in the best way any Prophet was ever taken, then Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) was appointed as his successor and he did what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had done and followed the Sunnah of his Prophet, and `Umar (رضي الله عنه) was appointed and did likewise.
I heard ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) saying on the minbar: The best of this ummah after its Prophet are Abu Bakr and ʻUmar, and if l wanted to name the third one, I would name him. A man said to Abu lshaq: They are saying that you say they were the best in evil. He said: Are you a Haroori (i.e.Khariji)?`
Narrated It was narrated that ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) said:
l fell sick and the Prophet (ﷺ) came to me when I was saying: O Allah, if my time has come then grant me relief; if it has not yet come then heal me or grant me well being, and if this is a trial then grant me patience. He said: `What did you say?` I repeated it to him, then he touched me with his hand and said: `O Allah, heal him” or “grant him well being.” And I never suffered that sickness again after that.