Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When Monday came, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) lifted the curtain of his chamber. He (peace be upon him) saw Sayyiduna Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), who was leading the people in prayer. The narrator says: I looked at the face of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and it was as bright as a page of the Qur'an. He (peace be upon him) was smiling. It was so close that, out of the joy of seeing the Prophet (peace be upon him), we almost fell into trial regarding our prayers (i.e., we almost broke our prayers). Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) intended to step back, thinking that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was coming, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) signaled to him to remain as he was. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) let the curtain fall. On that day, the Prophet (peace be upon him) passed away.

Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said: The Messenger of Allah has not passed away; rather, he has been called (to his Lord) just as Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him) was called, and he remained away from his people for forty days. By Allah! I hope that the Prophet (peace be upon him) will remain alive until he cuts off the hands and tongues of some of the hypocrites—those hypocrites who think that the Prophet (peace be upon him) has passed away.

Az-Zuhri narrates: Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) told me that he heard Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) in his second sermon, when he was sitting on the pulpit of the Prophet (peace be upon him). This was the day after the passing of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The narrator says: Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) recited the testimony of faith. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was silent and did not say anything. Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Amma ba'd! Yesterday I said something, but it is not as I said. By Allah! I did not find what I said in the Book of Allah, which He revealed, nor did the Prophet (peace be upon him) instruct us about it. But I had hoped that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would remain alive for such a time that his passing would be after all of us." (The narrator says:) Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) meant that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would be the last among them to pass away.

(Sayyiduna Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said:) "Although Muhammad (peace be upon him) has passed away, Allah Almighty has placed a light among you, through which you can obtain guidance. Hold firmly to it, and you will be guided. This is the thing through which Allah Almighty granted guidance to Muhammad (peace be upon him). Then, indeed, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) is the companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him); he is the second of the two (who were in the cave at the time of migration), and he is the most deserving among all people regarding your affairs (i.e., to be the caliph). So, rise and pledge allegiance to him."

(The narrator says:) Some of those people had already pledged allegiance to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) earlier at the Saqifah of Banu Sa'idah, but his general pledge of allegiance took place on the pulpit.

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: Once the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was delivering a sermon when a caravan (that is, a caravan of goods) arrived in Madinah Munawwarah. The companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) hurried towards it until only twelve people remained, among whom were Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). At that time, this verse was revealed (that is, the last verses of Surah Jumu'ah).