Musnad Abu Ya'la al-Mawsili 165:1

Al-Hasan ibn ‘Umar ibn Shaqiq al-Jarmi narrated to us, Ja‘far ibn Sulayman narrated to us, from al-Nadr ibn Humayd al-Kindi, from Sa‘d al-Iskaf, from Abu Ja‘far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: Gabriel came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said: "O Muhammad, indeed Allah loves three of your companions, so love them: ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, Abu Dharr, and al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad." He said: Then Gabriel came to him and said to him: "O Muhammad, indeed Paradise longs for three of your companions." Anas ibn Malik was with him, and he hoped that it would be some of the Ansar. He wanted to ask the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about them, but he was in awe of him. So he went out and met Abu Bakr and said: "O Abu Bakr, I was just now with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Gabriel came to him and said: 'Indeed Paradise longs for three of your companions.' I hoped it would be some of the Ansar, but I was in awe of asking him. Would you enter upon the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and ask him?" He said: "I fear that if I ask him and I am not one of them, my people will gloat over me." Then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab met me, and he said to him the same as what Abu Bakr said. He said: Then he met ‘Ali and said to him: "Yes, if I am one of them, I will praise Allah, and if I am not one of them, I will praise Allah." So he entered upon the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said: "Anas told me that he was with you just now, and that Gabriel came to you and said: 'O Muhammad, indeed Paradise longs for three of your companions.'" He said: "Who are they, O Prophet of Allah?" He said: "You are one of them, O ‘Ali, and ‘Ammar ibn Yasir—and he will witness with you battles whose virtue and goodness are great—and Salman, for he is of us, the People of the House, and he is a sincere advisor, so take him for yourself."