It is said about him [Umar ibn al-Khattab] that one day he was sitting with his friends in a large house and he said to his friends: “Make wishes.” One of them said: “I wish I had the fill of this house silver dirhams so that I may spend it in the way of Allah.” Another wishes that he had gold the fill of the house to spend for the sake of Allah. But Umar said: I wish I had the fill of this house men like Abi Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah, Muadh ibn Jabal, and Salim the freed slave of Abu Hudhaifah, so that I may use them in the service of Allah.