But those three things which I wish I had never done were...

But those three things which I wish I had never done were: I wish I had never entered Fatemah's house even if we had to face confrontation. I wish I had not accepted caliphate on Saqifah day and I wish I had given it to either Umar or Abu Obaydah and instead accepted the position of minister or that of an advisor. I wish I had not put Ayas Ibn Abdullah, the highwayman, on fire and I wish I had killed him with my sword.

And I wish I had asked the Prophet the following three things: I wish I had asked him who could be his successor; I wish I had asked him if Ansar deserved such a position; I wish I had asked the Prophet the heritage of one's aunt and one's neice [^1].

Abu Bakr being the congregation leader Some Sunnite schools have referred to Abu Bakr's substitution for the prayer congregation during the time when the Prophet was ill as a special virtue and have used this as a document for the legality of Abu Bakr's caliphate. They emphatically state that when the Prophet was content with Abu Bakr's substitution for the prayer, people should also be satisfied with his government which is a worldly, mundane affair.

An Answer But this allegation is wrong for certain reasons: From the viewpoint of history, it is never proved that Abu Bakr's involvement in that prayer was actually with the Prophet's permission. He might have done that either on his own or due to somebody's suggestion. This can be assumed as Abu Bakr had done the same thing once before without the Prophet's permission. Bukhari, the well-known Sunni narrator, narrates: Once the Prophet was visiting the tribe of Bani Amru Ibn Awf.

When it was prayer time Abu Bakr stood in the Prophet's place and became the prayer Imam. When the Prophet arrived at the mosque, he had to break the row of people to stand in front. Then Abu Bakr had to stand behind the Prophet[^2]. Even if Abu Bakr had performed the congregation prayer under the Prophet's permission this still does not authorize him for such a position as the caliphate of Muslims.

To be a prayer leader one needs correct pronunciation and full recognition of the prayer requirements, nothing else is necessary (and in the view of Sunnites, even a belief in God's justice is not necessary). However, leading the Islamic community requires other conditions such as: • A thorough knowledge of the principles and practical principles of Islam; • The capability to manage Islamic affairs; • Immunity against sins.