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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Did Abu Bakr Really Lead The Salat? Was Abu Bakr Even Qualified To Lead? ======================================= Apart from the severe contradictions in the ahadith on Abu Bakr’s alleged leadership of salat during the Prophet’s fatal illness, there is also the question of its factual possibility. It is one thing for something to be possible; it is another for it to have truly occurred.

Where it is impossible, then all reports of its occurrence are false by default. However, where it is possible, then additional, consistent and authentic evidence of its actual occurrence must be produced by whoever seeks to rely on that fact. With regards to Abu Bakr’s alleged leadership of the salat , there are only conflicting, irreconcilable “proofs” of it. As such, there actually are none. In this chapter, we seek to explore the possibility of it even ever happening.

This way, we bury it for good. Without a doubt, the very first step in determining the possibility of Abu Bakr’s leadership of the salat is to establish or discredit his qualification for it. Unless it is proved that he was qualified to lead, then every effort to claim that he did is futile. If he was not qualified, apparently his appointment as prayer leader by the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alaihi wa alihi , would have been impossible.

However, if he was qualified, it would, in that case, be at least possible. Then, additional, unquestionable evidence would become admissible to establish its factual occurrence. So, was Abu Bakr qualified to lead the Messenger of Allah in salat ? Moreover, was he equally qualified to lead the Sahabah in salat in the Prophet’s mosque? The answer to the first question is in this verse: يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تقدموا بين يدي الله ورسوله واتقوا الله إن الله سميع عليم O you who believe!

Do not lead in front of Allah and His Messenger , and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.[^1] This effectively makes it absolutely haram to lead the Prophet of Allah in anything – including in battles and salat . Imam al-Mubarakfuri (d.

1282 H) also states: حكى ذلك القاضي عياض قال ولا يصح لأحد أن يؤم جالسا بعده صلى الله عليه وسلم قال وهو مشهور قول مالك وجماعة أصحابه قال وهذا أولى الأقاويل لأنه صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يصح التقدم بين يديه في الصلاة ولا في غيرها ولا لعذر ولا لغيره That is narrated from Qaḍi ‘Iyaḍ.