It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zam'ah bin al-Aswad bin al-Muttalib bin Asad (may Allah be pleased with him); he said: When the illness of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) (in his final illness) grew severe, and I was with him (peace and blessings be upon him) along with a group of Muslims, Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) called the adhan for the prayer. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Tell someone to lead the people in prayer." I went out, and there was Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), while Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was not present (at that time). I said: O Umar, stand up and lead the people in prayer. He stood up, and when he said the takbir, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) heard his voice, for Umar was a man with a loud voice. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Where is Abu Bakr? Allah and the Muslims do not approve of this (situation)." Then a message was sent to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and he came after Umar had already led that prayer, and then he led the people in prayer. Abdullah bin Zam'ah relates that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to me: Woe to you! O Ibn Zam'ah, what have you done to me? By Allah, when you told me (to lead the prayer), I thought only that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had ordered you to do so; had it not been for that thought, I would never have led the prayer. I replied: By Allah, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order me, but when I did not find Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) there, I considered you the most deserving of those present to lead the people in prayer. This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Imam Muslim, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.