Which of his wives was most beloved to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and which of the Companions was most beloved to his heart and closest to him?

The dearest of the Prophet's wives (peace be upon him) to him was Aisha, as stated in the Hadith of Amr ibn al-Aas when he asked the Prophet: "Who among the people is most beloved to you?" He replied: "Aisha."

This matter was well-known among the Companions, so much so that they would time their gifts for the day Aisha was with him. Even the Mothers of the Believers asked Umm Salama to request the Prophet to tell people to give him gifts wherever he was. The Prophet replied: "O Umm Salama, do not hurt me concerning Aisha, for by Allah, no revelation has come to me while I was in the blanket of any woman among you other than her."

Aisha's special status was confirmed during his final illness, when his wives permitted him to stay wherever he wished, so he stayed in Aisha's house until he passed away.

As for Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, she held a great share of the Messenger of Allah's love, to the extent that Aisha said: "I was not as jealous of any of the Prophet's wives (peace be upon him) as I was of Khadijah."

As for the men most beloved to him, they were Abu Bakr, then Umar ibn al-Khattab, then Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah.