The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If I were to take a Khalil, I would have taken Abu Bakr, but he is my brother and my companion (in Islam).
Sahih al-Bukhari Book 62, Hadith 8
← Previous Hadith We used to compare the people as to who was better during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) . We used to regard Abu Bakr as the best, then `Umar, and then `Uthman .

Sahih al-Bukhari Book 62, Hadith 7 Next Hadith → The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If I were to take a Khalil, I would have taken him (i.e. Abu Bakr) as a Khalil, but the Islamic brotherhood is better."

Sahih al-Bukhari Book 62, Hadith 9