He said: Abu Ubaidullah Muhammad b. Imran al-Marzbani reported to me from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa al-Makki, who reported from Abdullah b. Ahmad b. Hanbal, who reported from his father, who reported from al-Husain b. al-Hasan, who reported from Sharik, from Abi Raabia'h al-Ayadi, who was heard narrating even in his old age, from Ibn Buridah, from his father, who said:
The PROPHET, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Surely, ALLAH (SWT) has commanded me to love four of my companions; and has revealed to me that He indeed loves them." We said: "Who are they, O MESSENGER of ALLAH (SWT)? And there is none from us who does not wish to be among them."
He, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Be it known that ALI (ASWS) is among them" - and he repeated this three times - "and al-Miqdad and Abu Dharr al-Ghifari and Salman al-Farsi."
(Ref: Al-Amali Shaikh Mufeed: The Fifteenth Assembly: Hadees No.2)