Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ رَجَاءٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي الْهُذَيْلِ عَنْ أَبِي الْأَحْوَصِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ لَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا خَلِيلًا لَاتَّخَذْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ خَلِيلًا وَلَكِنْ أَخِي وَصَاحِبِي وَقَدْ اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ صَاحِبَكُمْ خَلِيلًا.
English Translation
Affan told us: Shu'ba told us, from Isma'il ibn Raja', from Abdullah ibn Abi al-Hudhayl, from Abu al-Ahwas, from Abdullah, from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: "If I were to take a close friend, I would have taken Abu Bakr as a close friend, but he is my brother and companion, and Allah has taken your Companion as a close friend."