It was narrated from ‘Abd Al Raḥmān Ibn ‘Awf (may Allāh be pleased with him) that he said: Allāh’s Messenger (may Allāh praise him and Peace be upon him) said, “Abū Bakr will be in Paradise, ‘Umar will be in Paradise, ‘Uthmān will be in Paradise and ‘Alī will be in Paradise. [Al Albānī said that this ḥadīth (narration) is ṣaḥīḥ (authentic)] It was narrated from Anas Ibn Mālik (may Allāh be pleased with him) that he said: Allāh’s Messenger (may Allāh praise him and Peace be upon him) said to Abū Bakr and ‘Umar, “These two are the chiefs of the mature men in Paradise from the first of them to the last of them, except the Prophets and Messengers. [Al Albānī said that this ḥadīth (narration) is ṣaḥīḥ (authentic)] ‘Alī Ibn Abī Ṭālib (may Allāh be pleased with him) said, “When Allāh’s Messenger (may Allāh praise him and Peace be upon him) passed away, we considered our situation and we realised that the Prophet (may Allāh praise him and Peace be upon him) had put Abū Bakr forward to lead the prayer, so we were happy to have one whom Allāh’s Messenger (may Allāh praise him and Peace be upon him) was satisfied with to lead us in our religion lead us in this world; so we put Abū Bakr forward.” [Siyar Al Khulafā` Al Rāshidīn (Biographies of the Rightly Guided Caliphs) p.27]