Ibn Jarir al-Tabari writes: “The Prophet (a.

Ibn Jarir al-Tabari writes: “The Prophet (a.s) said that Abū-Bakr be told lead the prayer. Then he himself took support of two persons and stirred out in a manner that his two feet were dragging on the ground. When he reached near Abū-Bakr, the latter moved back. The Prophet (a.s) waved him to stay where he was. He sat near Abū-Bakr and offered his prayer.

(`A’ishah says) that Abū-Bakr was following the Holy Prophet and the other people were following him.”[1] This narration suggests that the Prophet (a.s) had sent for Abū-Bakr to be called to lead the prayer. When he stood up for the prayer, the Prophet (a.s) himself, despite his sickness, came and joined the congregation sitting next to Abū-Bakr.

The Prophet (a.s) asking Abū-Bakr to lead the prayer and then himself coming to the mosque, despite his sickness, gives a doubt whether he really asked for Abū-Bakr to lead the prayer. The narration does not mention that the Prophet (a.s) himself asked Abū-Bakr to go and lead the prayer. Perhaps like `Abdullah ibn Zum`ah asking `Umar to lead, similarly someone else might have prompted Abū-Bakr to come and take the lead at the prayer.

When the Prophet (a.s) learned of these happenings, he would have decided, despite the poor condition of his health, to go to the mosque. The narration that Abū-Bakr was following the Prophet (a.s) in his prayer and the other persons in the congregation were following him is a meaningless contention. Because if Abū-Bakr was the Imam for that particular prayer, he could not have been the follower of anyone else for that prayer!

If the Prophet (a.s) was the Imam then Abū-Bakr would be only the follower and nothing else. It is not possible that a person can be an Imam and the follower at the same prayer! If such was the case then those who are in the back rows, they become followers of those who are in the rows in front of them! Ibn Jarir al-Tabari writes “The prophet (a.s) asked `Ali (a.s) to be called. `A’ishah said she wished he had called Abū-Bakr. Hafsah said she wished he had called `Umar.

In that time, all of them assembled near the [1] Tārīkh al-Tabarī, Vol 2, Page 439 Prophet (a.s). The Prophet (a.s) said, ‘You people go away. I shall call you when needed!’ Therefore, they went away. Then the Prophet (a.s) asked if it was time for prayer. He was told it was the time. He wanted to ask Abū-Bakr to lead the prayer. `A’ishah said he was weak of heart and `Umar must be asked to lead.