Arabic (Original)
أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ وَأَبُو سَعِيدِ بْنُ أَبِي عَمْرٍو قَالَا ثنا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ ثنا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ أنا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ أنا الرَّبِيعُ بْنُ صُبَيْحٍ ثنا عَطَاءٌ قَالَ كَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ؓ يَقُولُ الْجَدُّ أَبٌ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ دُونَهُ أَبٌ كَمَا أَنَّ ابْنَ الِابْنِ ابْنٌ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ دُونَهُ ابْنٌ
English Translation
Abu Abdullah al-Hafiz and Abu Sa'id ibn Abi Amr informed us: Abu al-Abbas Muhammad ibn Ya'qub narrated to us: Yahya ibn Abi Talib informed us: Yazid ibn Harun informed us: al-Rabi' ibn Subayh narrated to us: Ata' said: Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: The grandfather is a father as long as there is no closer father, just as the grandson is a son as long as there is no closer son.