Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْأَحْوَصِ يَقُولُ كَانَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا خَلِيلًا مِنْ أُمَّتِي لَاتَّخَذْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ.
English Translation
Affan told us, Shu'bah told us, from Abu Ishaq, who said: I heard Abu al-Ahwas say: Abdullah used to say, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: "If I were to take an intimate friend from among my nation, I would have taken Abu Bakr."