Abu Bakr leads the prayers during the final illness

When the Prophet's illness grew severe, he ordered Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer. Abu Bakr led them in seventeen prayers. Once the Prophet came out and sat at the left of Abu Bakr, and Abu Bakr followed him in prayer ¹.

At the time of 'Isha the illness grew worse, and the Prophet could not go out. He asked, "Have the people prayed?" three times, and each time he tried to rise after bathing he fainted ². So he sent word to Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer, and in those days Abu Bakr led seventeen prayers during the Prophet's lifetime ¹. 'A'isha returned to the Prophet three or four times, asking that the leadership be turned away from Abu Bakr so that people would not take an ill omen from him. He refused and said: "You are like the women of Yusuf; order Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer" ².

On Saturday or Sunday the Prophet felt some relief, and he went out between two men for the noon prayer while Abu Bakr was leading the people. Abu Bakr moved to step back, but the Prophet signalled to him not to step back, and had him seated at his left. Abu Bakr followed the Prophet's prayer while the people heard the takbir ².

'A'isha relates that the Prophet said, "Order Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer." She said, "Abu Bakr is a tender man, weak of voice, who weeps much when he recites the Qur'an." He repeated: "Order him to lead the people in prayer." ³ When the Prophet came out to the people while they were praying the dawn prayer, the Muslims nearly lost their focus in prayer out of joy at seeing him. He gestured to them to complete their prayer, then withdrew, and Abu Bakr returned to his household at al-Sunh ⁴.

Ibn Ishaq relates from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad that when the Prophet heard 'Umar's takbir in the prayer, he said: "Where is Abu Bakr? God and the Muslims refuse that" ⁴. Ibn Hisham reports from 'A'isha that her purpose in saying what she said was that she wished this to be turned away from Abu Bakr, because people never love a man who has stood in the place of the Prophet ⁵.

Then on the morning of Monday, the Prophet went out to the prayer with his head bound, while Abu Bakr was leading the people. When the people saw him, they parted to make way for him. Abu Bakr drew back from his place, but the Prophet pushed him in the back and said: "Lead the people in prayer." He sat beside him and prayed seated to the right of Abu Bakr ⁴. The Prophet then said to the women: "You are like the women of Yusuf; order him to lead the people in prayer" ⁵.

• The report of 'Umar and 'Abdullah ibn Zam'a, with a chain through al-Zuhri from 'Abd al-Malik ibn Abi Bakr. In it, 'Umar said after the prayer: "O son of Zam'a, by God, I did not think except that the Prophet had ordered you" ⁵.
• The report of "You are like the women of Yusuf" from Ibn Ishaq, without the chain of transmission in the edition ⁵.