Abu Quhafa said to Abu Bakr, "My son, I see you freeing weak slaves. If you must do what you are doing, why not free strong men who could protect you and stand at your side?"Abu Bakr replied, "Father, I want only what Allah wants."It is said that these verses were revealed about no one but him, and about what his father had said to him, "As for the one who gives and is mindful of God and affirms the finest reward," through to His words, "and no one has done him a favor for which he must be repaid, but only seeking the face of his Lord, the Most High. And he is going to be well pleased" [Layl 92:5–21].
قال أبو قحافة لأبي بكر: يا بني، إني أراك تعتق رقابا ضعافا، فلو أنك إذ فعلت ما فعلت أعتقت رجالا جلدا يمنعونك ويقومون دونك؟ قال: فقال أبو بكر: يا أبت، إني إنما أريد ما أريد الله عز وجل، قال: فيتحدث ما نزل هؤلاء الآيات إلا فيه، وفيما قال له أبوه: {فأما من أعطى واتقى وصدق بالحسنى} إلى قوله: {وما لأحد عنده من نعمة تجزى إلا ابتغاء وجه ربه الأعلى ولسوف يرضى} [سورة الليل: ٥-٢١].
Abdullah bin Ahmad narrated it in his additions to Fadail al-Sahabah by his father (66), and Hakim graded it sahih (2/525), both through the route of Muhammad bin Ishaq, who said, Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Abu Atiq narrated to me, from Amir bin Abdullah bin Zubayr, from his father, who said, then he mentioned it.Its chain is hasan because of Muhammad bin Ishaq, and because of his teacher Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Abu Atiq, whom Ibn Hibban mentioned in al-Thiqat, and whom Daraqutni deemed reliable, while Dhahabi said, "His hadith is close to sound."A note. In Fadail al-Sahabah it appears as, "from Amir bin Abdullah bin Zubayr, from some of his family," and it is likewise in Sirat bin Hisham (1/319). But in Hakim's version it appears explicitly as "from his father," meaning Abdullah bin Zubayr. Yet Abdullah bin Zubayr did not witness this event, because he was born in Madinah after the migration. So this is a mursal report from a companion, and mursal reports from companions are accepted by the majority of scholars.