And these three are the ones ‘Ā’isha meant in the report Muslim narrated from [Ibn] (1) Abī Mulayka (2), who said:
“I heard ‘Ā’isha being asked, ‘Whom would the Messenger of Allah have appointed as his successor, had he appointed one?’ She replied, ‘Abū Bakr.’ She was then asked, ‘Who after Abū Bakr?’ She replied, ‘ ‘Umar.’ She was asked, ‘Who after ‘Umar?’ She replied, ‘Abū ‘Ubayda ibn al-Jarrāh.’ She went no further than this.” (3)
The point here is that Abū Bakr’s appointment to lead the prayer in the Prophet’s place lasted several days (4), as the reports of the Companions unanimously attest. The compilers of the Sahīh collections narrated this through Abū Mūsā, Ibn ‘Abbās, ‘Ā’isha, Ibn ‘Umar, and Anas. Al-Bukhārī narrated it through Ibn ‘Umar, including the Prophet’s words:
“Tell Abū Bakr to lead the people in prayer.”
The report also recounts ‘Ā’isha asking him to reconsider on this occasion, mentioning that she did so twice. It also includes his words:
“Tell him to lead the people in prayer, for you are like the women around Joseph.”
By unanimous agreement, Abū Bakr continued to lead them in prayer until the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw them praying behind him at the last prayer of his lifetime—the dawn prayer on Monday—and was delighted and pleased by what he saw (5).
(1) Ibn (“son of”) is omitted from (N) and (S). 0 B
(2) He is ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Ubayd Allāh ibn Abī Mulayka al-Taymī, who died in 117. For his biography, see Tahdhīb al-Tahdhīb, 5/306, and al-A‘lām, 4/236–237.
(3) This hadith is narrated from ‘Ā’isha, may Allah be pleased with her, with differences in wording, in Muslim, 4/1856 (Book of the Merits of the Companions, chapter on the Merits of Abū Bakr al-Siddīq…); and al-Musnad (al-Halabī edition), 6/3. The hadith appeared earlier, 1/497.
(4) M: Ma‘lūmatan (“known”).
(5) This hadith appeared earlier, 1/512. There I noted that it was narrated from ‘Ā’isha and Anas, may Allah be pleased with them both, and cited some places where it appears in al-Bukhārī. It is also narrated from Abū Mūsā al-Ash‘arī, may Allah be pleased with him, in al-Bukhārī, 1/132 (Book of the Call to Prayer, chapter “Those Possessing Knowledge and Virtue Are Most Entitled to Lead the Prayer”). It is narrated from Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, in al-Bukhārī, 1/133 (the same book and chapter). It also appears in Muslim, 1/313–316 (Book of Prayer, chapter “The Imam’s Appointment of a Substitute When an Impediment Arises”). As for the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbās, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, its wording differs, although it concerns the same incident. It appears in al-Bukhārī, 1/134–135 (Book of the Call to Prayer, chapter “The Imam Was Appointed Only to Be Followed”). The hadith is narrated from ‘Ā’isha, may Allah be pleased with her, in Sunan al-Tirmidhī, 5/275–276 (Book of Virtues, chapter 58). Al-Tirmidhī said: “On this subject there are also reports from ‘Abd Allāh ibn Mas‘ūd, Abū Mūsā, Ibn ‘Abbās, and Sālim ibn ‘Ubayd.” The hadith of ‘Ā’isha also appears in al-Musnad (al-Halabī edition), 6/96, 202, 210, 224, 228, 229, 270.