`Amr b. al-'As told that when God's messenger sent him as head of the army to Dhat as-Salasil [*] he went to him and asked him which of the people he liked best. On his replying that it was `A'isha, he said he was referring to men, and he replied that it was her father. He asked who came next, and when he replied that it was `Umar and went on to enumerate some men, he asked him no more from fear that he might put him among the last of them. *In 8 AH. (Bukhari and Muslim.)