Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I was sitting with the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) when suddenly Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) arrived. He was holding the edge of his cloak, until he removed it from his knee. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Your companion has put himself into trials and difficulties." He greeted (with salam) and said: O Messenger of Allah! I had some dispute with Ibn Khattab, I said something in haste, then I regretted it, so I asked him to forgive me, but he refused to do so, so I have come to you. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said three times: "Abu Bakr! May Allah forgive you." Meanwhile, later Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) regretted it, he went to the house of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and asked: Is Abu Bakr here? They said: No. He came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and the face of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) kept changing, until Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) became afraid, he sat down on his knees and said: O Messenger of Allah! By Allah! I was more at fault. (He said it twice.) The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "O people! Indeed, Allah sent me to you, but you said (rejecting me): You are lying. But Abu Bakr said: You are truthful. Abu Bakr devoted his life and wealth in my support, will you not leave my friend for me?" (He said it twice.) After that, he was not caused any harm.

Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You are a man freed from the Fire."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "There is no one who has done more favor to me than Abu Bakr; he spent his life and wealth in my support and also married his daughter (Aisha) to me."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Hantab (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) and said: "These are the ears and eyes of (my Ummah)."

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Abu Bakr and Umar are the leaders of the mature people who will enter Paradise from the first and the last (of mankind)." This hadith is narrated from a group of the Companions, such as: Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib, Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik, Sayyiduna Abu Juhaifah, Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah, and Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with them).

When Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about the dyeing (of hair) of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he said: Only a few hairs of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had turned white, however, after him, Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) used henna and katam (a plant) for dyeing. (It should also be remembered that) when Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) brought his father Abu Quhafa (may Allah be pleased with him) to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) on the day of the conquest of Makkah, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him): "If you had left the elder at his place, we would have gone to him out of respect for Abu Bakr." Then he accepted Islam, and his beard and head hair were white like the thaghamah plant. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Change the color of both (i.e., the beard and the head hair) and avoid black color."

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Beware! I am absolving myself of the close friendship of every deep friend. If I were to take anyone (among mankind) as a close friend, I would have taken Abu Bakr as one. Your companion (i.e., Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) is the close friend of Allah, the Exalted." This hadith is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas, Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Zubair, Sayyiduna Abu Ma'la Ansari, Sayyiduna Jundub Bajali, Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, Aisha, Anas, Jabir, Abu Waqid, and Bara ibn Azib (may Allah be pleased with them).

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Follow Abu Bakr and Umar after me, adopt the conduct of Ammar, and hold fast to the covenant of Ibn Mas'ud." This hadith has been narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud, Sayyiduna Hudhayfah bin Yaman, Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik, and Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them all).

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Hira! Be still! There is none upon you except a Prophet, a Siddiq, or a Martyr." This hadith is narrated from Sayyiduna Sa'id bin Zaid, Sayyiduna Uthman bin Affan, Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik, Sayyiduna Buraydah bin Husayb, and Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with them).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Who among you is fasting today?" Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I am." He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Who among you has visited a sick person today?" Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I have." He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Who among you has attended a funeral prayer today?" Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I have." He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Who has fed a needy person today?" Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I have." Marwan says that it has reached me that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) finally said: "Whoever combines these qualities in a single day will enter Paradise."