Abu Sa'id reported that Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) sat on the pulpit and said: Allah gave a choice to His servant that he may opt the beauties of the world or that which is with Him and the servant chose that which was with Him. Thereupon Abu Bakr (RA) wept and he wept bitterly and said: Let our fathers and our mothers be taken as ransom for you. It was Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) who had been given the choice and Abu Bakr (RA) knew it better than us, and Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) is reported to have said: Behold, of all people the most generous toward me in regard to his companionship and his property was Abu Bakr (RA) and were I to choose anyone as my bosom friend, I would have chosen Abu Bakr (RA) as my dear friend, but (for him) I cherish Islamic brotherliness and love. There shall be left open no window in the mosque except Abu Bakr's window.

'Abdullah bin Mas'ud reported Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) as saying: If I were to choose a bosom friend I would have definitely chosen Abu Bakr (RA) as my bosom friend, but he is my brother and my companion and Allah, the Exalted and Gliorious. has taken your brother and companion (meaning Prophet ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) himself) as a friend.