Musnad Ahmad 1055
Abdul-Malik bin Sal’ told us:
from ‘Abd Khair. I heard him say: `Ali (رضي الله عنه) stood on the minbar and mentioned the Messenger of Allah       (ﷺ). He said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) died and Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) was appointed as his successor, and he did what he had done and followed in his footsteps, and persisted in doing so until Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, took his soul in death. Then ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه) was appointed as his successor and he did what they had done and followed in their footsteps, and persisted in doing so until Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, took his soul in death.
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْد اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنِي سُرَيْجُ بْنُ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا مَرْوَانُ الْفَزَارِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ سَلْعٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ خَيْرٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ قَامَ عَلِيٌّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فَذَكَرَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ قُبِضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَاسْتُخْلِفَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَعَمِلَ بِعَمَلِهِ وَسَارَ بِسِيرَتِهِ حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَى ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ اسْتُخْلِفَ عُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ فَعَمِلَ بِعَمَلِهِمَا وَسَارَ بِسِيرَتِهِمَا حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَى ذَلِكَ‏.‏