Sunan Abi Dawud 4628
سنن أبي داود#4628Sahihحَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَنْبَسَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ قَالَ سَالِمُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ ابْنَ عُمَرَ قَالَ كُنَّا نَقُولُ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَىٌّ أَفْضَلُ أُمَّةِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَعْدَهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ثُمَّ عُمَرُ ثُمَّ عُثْمَانُ رضى الله عنهم أَجْمَعِينَ .
Ibn ‘Umar said:When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was alive, we used to say: The most excellent member of the community of the Prophet (ﷺ) after himself is Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar, then 'Uthman
Scholarly Authentication
The label above is the grade most of these scholars gave — one dissenting opinion no longer speaks for all of them. If any scholar calls a narration fabricated, that verdict is shown instead, whatever the others say. Each scholar's own wording:
In-book reference: 42:33