Hadith 219:1
Abu al-Walid Hisham narrated to us, he said: Abu 'Awanah narrated to us, from 'Abd al-Malik, from Ibn Abi al-Mu'alla, from his father, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) delivered a sermon one day and said: "Indeed, a man was given a choice by his Lord, the Almighty and Majestic, between living in the world as long as he wished to live in it, eating from the world what he wished to eat from it, and meeting his Lord, the Almighty and Majestic; so he chose the meeting of his Lord." He said: So Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) wept. He said: The companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Do you not wonder at this old man? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) mentioned a righteous man whom his Lord, Blessed and Exalted, gave a choice between the world and meeting his Lord, Blessed and Exalted, and he chose the meeting of his Lord, the Almighty and Majestic." And Abu Bakr was the most knowledgeable of them regarding what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said. So Abu Bakr said: "Rather, we ransom you with our wealth and our children—or our fathers." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "There is no one among the people who has been more generous to us with his companionship and his wealth than Ibn Abi Quhafa. And if I were to take a close friend (khalil), I would have taken Ibn Abi Quhafa, but it is affection and the brotherhood of faith—but it is affection and the brotherhood of faith (he said it twice)—and indeed, your companion is the close friend (khalil) of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic."
حدثنا أبو الوليد هشام، قال: حدثنا أبو عوانة، عن عبد الملك، عن ابن أبي المعلى، عن أبيه، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم خطب يوما فقال: " " إن رجلا خيره ربه عز وجل بين أن يعيش في الدنيا، ما شاء أن يعيش فيها، يأكل من الدنيا ما شاء أن يأكل منها، وبين لقاء ربه عز وجل، فاختار لقاء ربه " " قال: فبكى أبو بكر رضي الله عنه، قال: فقال أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ألا تعجبون من هذا الشيخ، أن ذكر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم رجلا صالحا خيره ربه تبارك وتعالى بين الدنيا، وبين لقاء ربه تبارك وتعالى فاختار لقاء ربه عز وجل، وكان أبو بكر أعلمهم بما قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال أبو بكر: بل نفديك بأموالنا وأبنائنا - أو بآبائنا - فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: " " ما من الناس أحد أمن علينا في صحبته، وذات يده من ابن أبي قحافة، ولو كنت متخذا خليلا لاتخذت ابن أبي قحافة، ولكن ود، وإخاء إيمان ، ولكن ود، وإخاء إيمان مرتين، وإن صاحبكم خليل الله عز وجل " " . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .