1294 — Abū Bakr ibn Abī Dāwud also narrated to us, saying: Ahmad ibn Sālih narrated to us, saying: Ibn Abī Fudayk narrated to us, saying: Mūsā ibn Yaqub al-Zam'ī narrated to me, from Abd al-Rahmān ibn Ishāq, from Ibn Shihāb, from Ubayd Allah ibn Abdullah ibn Utba, that Abdullah ibn Zam'a informed him that he visited the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—during the illness in which he died.

Abdullah said: The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—then said to me, “Tell the people to pray.” I went out and encountered some people. When I encountered Umar, I looked no further, and I said to him, “Lead the people in prayer.” Umar went out and led the people in prayer. When the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—heard Umar’s voice, Ibn Zam'a said: The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—came out and leaned his head out of his chamber. He then said, “Certainly not! Certainly not! No one shall lead the people in prayer except the son of Abū Quhāfa. Let the son of Abū Quhāfa lead the people in prayer.” He said this in anger.

Ibn Zam'a said: Umar withdrew and said to me, “My brother, did the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—instruct you to tell me to do so?” I replied, “No. But when I saw you, I looked no further.” Umar was deeply distressed by this. ⦗1834⦘

Ahmad ibn Sālih said: “This is the correct account.” Muhammad ibn al-Husayn said: By this he meant that Umar did not complete the prayer. Rather, once he had proclaimed, “Allah is the Greatest,” and recited aloud, the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—heard him.

Muhammad ibn al-Husayn—may Allah have mercy on him—said: It has also been narrated that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said during his illness, “Tell Abū Bakr to lead the people in prayer.” Abū Bakr then led the people in prayer while the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was still alive.