It is narrated from Hazrat Abu al-Ma'la that one day the Prophet (peace be upon him) was delivering a sermon and said that Allah Almighty gave a person the choice to remain in the world as long as he wished, to eat whatever he wished, and between meeting his Lord; he chose to meet his Lord. Upon hearing this, Hazrat Siddiq Akbar (may Allah be pleased with him) began to weep. The companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said, "Look at this old man! The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned a righteous man whom Allah gave the choice between the world and meeting Him, and he chose to meet his Lord?" But among us, Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was the one who understood the reality of the Prophet's (peace be upon him) statement the most. Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "We are ready to offer our wealth, sons, and fathers in your place." The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Among the people, in companionship and in possessions, no one has done more favors to me than Ibn Abi Quhafa (may Allah be pleased with him). If I were to take anyone as a close friend (khalil), I would have taken Ibn Abi Quhafa (may Allah be pleased with him), but here, the bond of faith and affection is sufficient." He said this sentence twice: "And your Prophet himself is Allah's close friend (khalil)."