The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out during the illness in which he died with his head wrapped in a cloth, sat on the pulpit, praised Allah and extolled Him, then said, "There is no one among the people who has been more generous to me with himself and his wealth than Abu Bakr bin Abu Quhafa. Were I to take a close friend from among the people, I would have taken Abu Bakr as a close friend, but the bond of Islam is greater. Close every door opening into this mosque except the door of Abu Bakr."
خرج رسول الله ﷺ في مرضه الذي مات فيه عاصبا رأسه بخرقة، فقعد على المنبر، فحمد الله وأثنى عليه، ثم قال: إنه ليس من الناس أحد أمن علي في نفسه وماله من أبي بكر بن أبي قحافة، ولو كنت متخذا من الناس خليلا لاتخذت أبا بكر خليلا، ولكن خلة الإسلام أفضل، سدوا عني كل خوخة في هذا المسجد غير خوخة أبي بكر.
Bukhari narrated it in the Book of Prayer (467), from Abdullah bin Muhammad Jafi, who said, Wahb bin Jareer narrated to us, from my father, I heard Yaala bin Hakeem, from Ikrima, from Ibn Abbas, and he related it. He also narrated it in the Book of the Virtues of the Companions (3656) through another route from Ayub, from Ikrima, with the same chain, in this wording, "If I were to take a close friend from my nation, I would have taken Abu Bakr, but he is my brother and my companion." He also narrated it in the Book of the Virtues of the Companions (3657) through another route from Ayub with the same chain, and in it, "But the brotherhood of Islam is superior."