Why are many hadiths narrated from some Companions, such as Abu Hurairah and Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), and few from the great Companions, such as Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali (may Allah be pleased with them), even though they had more companionship with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?

The number of hadiths narrated by the Rightly Guided Caliphs was not small, but it was fewer compared to the Companions who narrated a great many, such as Abu Hurayrah. Abu Bakr narrated 142 hadiths, 'Umar 539, 'Uthman 146, and 'Ali 586. The reason for their fewer narrations is due to their early deaths and their preoccupation with the duties of the caliphate, which prevented them from dedicating themselves to narration and teaching. Meanwhile, those who narrated extensively lived longer, and some of them devoted themselves to hadith, which increased their narrations. Despite the scarcity of their hadith narrations, their fatwas (religious edicts) and judicial rulings were numerous due to the nature of their governmental duties.