remain the imam, or did he become a follower while the Prophet ﷺ was the imam? The stronger view is that he became a follower, not the imam, for several reasons, including:
(a) ʿĀʾishah said: “Abū Bakr was following the Prophet’s prayer, and the people were following Abū Bakr’s prayer.”
(b) Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—would never consent to lead the Prophet ﷺ in prayer, as occurred when he went to reconcile the clan of Banū ʿAmr ibn ʿAwf in Qubā.
(c) Al-Bukhārī’s narration states: “The Prophet ﷺ sat to the left of Abū Bakr,” which is the position of the imam relative to the follower. Other evidences also support this view.