Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ عَنْ شَرِيكٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو رَبِيعَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يُحِبُّ مِنْ أَصْحَابِي أَرْبَعَةً أَخْبَرَنِي أَنَّهُ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَأَمَرَنِي أَنْ أُحِبَّهُمْ قَالُوا مَنْ هُمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ إِنَّ عَلِيًّا مِنْهُمْ وَأَبُو ذَرٍّ الْغِفَارِيُّ وَسَلْمَانُ الْفَارِسِيُّ وَالْمِقْدَادُ بْنُ الْأَسْوَدِ الْكِنْدِيُّ.
English Translation
Ibn Numayr narrated to us, from Sharik: Abu Rabi'ah narrated to us, from Ibn Buraydah, from his father, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 'Allah, Mighty and Majestic, loves four of my Companions — He informed me that He loves them, and commanded me to love them.' They said, 'Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?' He said, ''Ali is among them, and Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, and Salman al-Farisi, and al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad al-Kindi.'