1300 — Ibrāhīm ibn Mūsā al-Jawzī informed us, saying: Hārūn ibn Abd Allah al-Bazzāz narrated to us, saying: Sulaymān ibn Harb narrated to us, saying: Hammād ibn Zayd narrated to us, saying: Abū Hāzim narrated to us, from Sahl ibn Sa‘d, who said: Fighting broke out among the Banū Amr ibn Awf. He said: The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—led the people in prayer, then went to them to reconcile them. He told Bilāl, “If the time for prayer arrives and I have not returned, instruct Abū Bakr to lead the people in prayer.” When the time for prayer arrived, Bilāl instructed Abū Bakr, who then led the people in prayer.

Muhammad ibn al-Husayn—may Allah have mercy on him—said ⦗1839⦘: These reports corroborate one another and demonstrate that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—instructed Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—to lead the people in prayer during his lifetime whenever he was absent, and during his illness whenever he was unable to do so. His words when Umar—may Allah be pleased with him—stepped forward, “No! Allah and the believers will accept none but Abū Bakr,” are evidence that Umar was not superior to him and that Abū Bakr was the caliph after him.

The Commander of the Believers, Alī ibn Abī Tālib—may Allah be pleased with him—who was the fourth caliph, likewise spoke of Abū Bakr’s nobility and merit, saying: “The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—put Abū Bakr forward, and he led the people in prayer, though he knew where I was. I was neither absent nor ill. Had he wished to put me forward, he would have done so. We therefore accepted for our worldly affairs the man whom the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—had accepted for our religion.”

Muhammad ibn al-Husayn—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—said: It has also been narrated that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said, “It is not fitting for any people among whom Abū Bakr is present to be led in prayer by anyone else.”