wracked with intense pain. He also knew that Allah had already perfected our religion, and had that written directive been an obligation, the Prophet ﷺ would certainly have dictated it and would never have left it undone.

Yūnus related from al-Zuhrī, from Ḥamzah ibn ʿAbd Allāh, from his father, who said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ grew gravely ill he said, “Tell Abū Bakr to lead the people in prayer.” ʿĀʾishah replied, “Messenger of Allah, Abū Bakr is a soft-hearted man; if he stands in your place the people will not hear him because of his weeping.” He repeated, “Instruct Abū Bakr to lead the people in prayer.” She repeated her words, so he said, “You women are like the companions of Joseph. Tell Abū Bakr to lead the people in prayer.” Al-Bukhārī recorded this report.

Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq narrated from al-Zuhrī, from ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿAbd Allāh, from Ibn ʿAbbās, from his mother Umm al-Faḍl, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out to us during his illness with his head wrapped, led us in the sunset prayer, and recited Sūrah al-Mursalāt. After that he never again led the people in prayer until he met Allah. The chain of transmission is sound.

ʿUqayl also transmitted it from al-Zuhrī with the wording that she heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recite Sūrah al-Mursalāt in the sunset prayer and that he did not lead them again after that. Al-Bukhārī.

Mūsā ibn Abī ʿĀʾishah narrated from ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿAbd Allāh that ʿĀʾishah told him: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ became so heavy with illness that he asked, ‘Have the people prayed?’ We replied, ‘No, they are waiting for you.’ He said, ‘Place water for me in the basin.’ We did so and he bathed, then tried to rise but lost consciousness. When he came to he asked, ‘Have the people prayed?’ We said, ‘No, they are waiting for you, Messenger of Allah.’ He said, ‘Place water for me in the basin.’ I did so, and again he tried to rise but fainted. When he regained consciousness he asked, ‘Have the people prayed?’ We said, ‘No, they are still waiting for you, and the people are gathered in the mosque…’”