Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُرَّةَ عَنْ أَبِي الْأَحْوَصِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَلَا إِنِّي أَبْرَأُ إِلَى كُلِّ خَلِيلٍ مِنْ خُلَّتِهِ وَلَوْ اتَّخَذْتُ خَلِيلًا لَاتَّخَذْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ خَلِيلًا إِنَّ صَاحِبَكُمْ خَلِيلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ.
English Translation
Waki’ told us: al-A’mash told us, from Abdullah ibn Murrah, from Abu al-Ahwas, from Abdullah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Indeed I disavow before Allah taking any close friend for myself; and had I taken a close friend, I would have taken Abu Bakr as a close friend; indeed your companion is the close friend of Allah, Mighty and Majestic."