329 – ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated the story of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ leading the people in prayer while he was ill. She said: “He came until he sat to the left of Abū Bakr, and he led the people in prayer sitting, while Abū Bakr stood. Abū Bakr was following the Prophet’s prayer, and the people were following Abū Bakr’s prayer.” Agreed upon.⦗1⦘

Points derived from the ḥadīth

1. When the Prophet ﷺ became ill he said, “Instruct Abū Bakr to lead the people in prayer.” Thus Abū Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) led them. Later the Prophet ﷺ felt some vigor, came while the congregation was in prayer, and sat to the left of Abū Bakr. The Prophet ﷺ then became the imam, leading the people while seated, and Abū Bakr prayed standing, following the Prophet’s prayer while the people followed Abū Bakr’s. This is the wording found in the two Ṣaḥīḥs.
2. It is permissible for an imam who is unable to stand to lead those who can. The Ḥanbalīs restrict this permission to the resident appointed imam, taking the ḥadīth in its narrowest sense.
3. It is permissible for someone to relay the imam’s takbīr during the prayer when the need arises because of the size of the place or the large number of worshippers; in Muslim’s narration it states: “Abū Bakr was making the takbīr audible for them.”
4. The follower should be on the right of the imam, for the Prophet ﷺ sat to the left of Abū Bakr.
5. It is allowed to intend to lead the prayer even while it is already in progress, and likewise for the imam to change to being a follower during the prayer, as Abū Bakr did.
6. The scholars have differed over this incident: after the Prophet ﷺ arrived, did Abū Bakr