Sahih Muslim Book - 44, Hadith - 6170

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ يَحْيَى بْنِ خَالِدٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا مَعْنٌ ، حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ ، عَنْ أَبِي النَّضْرِ ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ حُنَيْنٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، جَلَسَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فَقَالَ : عَبْدٌ خَيَّرَهُ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ أَنْ يُؤْتِيَهُ زَهْرَةَ الدُّنْيَا وَبَيْنَ مَا عِنْدَهُ ، فَاخْتَارَ مَا عِنْدَهُ فَبَكَى أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَبَكَى ، فَقَالَ : فَدَيْنَاكَ بِآبَائِنَا وَأُمَّهَاتِنَا ، قَالَ فَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ هُوَ الْمُخَيَّرُ ، وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَعْلَمَنَا بِهِ. وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : إِنَّ أَمَنَّ النَّاسِ عَلَيَّ فِي مَالِهِ وَصُحْبَتِهِ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ، وَلَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا خَلِيلاً لاَتَّخَذْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ خَلِيلاً ، وَلَكِنْ أُخُوَّةُ الإِسْلاَمِ ، لاَ تُبْقَيَنَّ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ خَوْخَةٌ إِلاَّ خَوْخَةَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ.

It was narrated from Abu Sa'eed that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) sat on the Minbar and said: "Allah has given a slave the choice between being given the delights of this world or that which is with Him, and he has chosen that which is with Him." Abu Bakr wept and wept, and said: "May our fathers and mothers be ransomed for you." The Messenger of Allah was the one who had been given the choice, and Abu Bakr was the one among us who knew it best. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: "The most generous of the people to me with his wealth and his companionship is Abu Bakr. If I were to have taken a Khalil (close friend) I would have taken Abu Bakr as a Khalil, but there is the brotherhood of Islam. And no door to the Masjid (from any house) should be left open except the door of Abu Bakr."