And with this same chain (it is narrated) from (Sayyidah Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said (during his final illness): "Order Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer." So Sayyidah Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: "O Messenger of Allah! Indeed, when Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, stands in your place, due to weeping he will not be able to make his voice heard to the people. Order Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, to lead the people in prayer." But the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Order Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer." Then Sayyidah Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: I said to Sayyidah Hafsa, may Allah be pleased with her: Tell him that if Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, stands in your place, due to weeping he will not be able to make his voice heard to the people, so order Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, to lead the people in prayer. Sayyidah Hafsa, may Allah be pleased with her, did so, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Do not say such things, you are like the women who gathered about Yusuf (Joseph), order Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer." So Sayyidah Hafsa, may Allah be pleased with her, said to Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her: "No good has ever come to me from your side."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sahl bin Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) went to the people of Banu Amr bin Awf to make peace among them, and when the time for prayer came, the muezzin came to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) and said:“Will you lead the people in prayer so that I may give the iqamah?”He said:“Yes!”Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) began to lead the prayer, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) arrived while the people were in prayer. He walked forward and stood in the front row, and the people began to clap their hands. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) would not look around during the prayer, but when the people clapped excessively, he looked and saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) signaled him to remain in his place, but Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) raised both his hands (in supplication) and praised Allah in accordance with the command of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), then stepped back and stood in the row, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) moved forward and led the prayer. After finishing the prayer with salam, he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:“O Abu Bakr! When I instructed you, why did you not remain in your place?”Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) replied:“It is not within the power of the son of Abu Quhafah (i.e., myself) to lead the prayer in front of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).”Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:“What is the matter that I saw you clapping your hands so much? If something happens in the prayer, one should say ‘Subhan Allah’, for when ‘Subhan Allah’ is said, the imam will pay attention, and clapping is for women.”

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) once mounted a horse and fell from it, injuring his right side. Then he led one of the prayers sitting, and we also prayed that prayer sitting behind him. When he turned towards us (after finishing), he said: "The imam is appointed so that he may be followed. When he prays standing, you should also pray standing, and when he bows (in ruku‘), you should bow. When he rises (from ruku‘), you should also rise. When he says «سمع الله لمن حمده» , you should say «ربنا ولك الحمد» , and when he prays sitting, you should all pray sitting."

And with this same chain of narration (it is narrated from Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, led the prayer while sitting in his house, and he was ill. The people began to stand and pray behind him, so the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, gestured to them to sit down. Then, when he finished the prayer, he said: "The imam is appointed so that he may be followed; when he bows, you should bow; when he raises his head, you should raise your heads; and when he prays sitting, you should also pray sitting."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Mahmood bin Rabi’ al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) that indeed Sayyiduna ‘Itban bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) used to lead his people in prayer and he was blind. He said to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): I am blind and (sometimes) there is darkness, rain, and flooding. O Messenger of Allah! Please pray at some place in my house so that I may make it a place of prayer. He said: Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came and said:“Where do you wish me to pray?”He (‘Itban, may Allah be pleased with him) pointed to a place in the house, so the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) led the prayer there.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) once mounted a horse and fell from it, injuring his right side. Then he led one of the prayers sitting, and we also prayed that prayer sitting behind him. When he turned towards us (after finishing), he said: "The imam is appointed so that he may be followed. When he prays standing, you should also pray standing, and when he bows (in ruku‘), you should bow. When he rises (from ruku‘), you should also rise. When he says «سمع الله لمن حمده» , you should say «ربنا ولك الحمد» , and when he prays sitting, you should all pray sitting."

And with this same chain of narration (it is narrated from Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, led the prayer while sitting in his house, and he was ill. The people began to stand and pray behind him, so the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, gestured to them to sit down. Then, when he finished the prayer, he said: "The imam is appointed so that he may be followed; when he bows, you should bow; when he raises his head, you should raise your heads; and when he prays sitting, you should also pray sitting."

And with this chain (it is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "When any of you leads the people in prayer, he should make it brief, for among them are the sick, the weak, and the elderly. But when he prays alone, he may make it as long as he wishes."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he spent a night in the house of the Prophet’s wife, Sayyidah Maymunah (may Allah be pleased with her), who was his maternal aunt. Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says: I lay down across the width of the pillow, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his family lay down along its length. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) slept, until half the night had passed, or a little before or a little after. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) then woke up from sleep and began to wipe his face with both hands to remove the effects of sleep. Then he recited the last ten verses of Surah Al-Imran. Then he went to a hanging water-skin and performed a most excellent ablution from it. Then he stood up and began to pray. Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Then I stood up and did as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had done. Then I stood by his side, so the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) placed his right hand on my head and took hold of my right ear (affectionately) and twisted it. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed two rak‘ahs, then two rak‘ahs, then two rak‘ahs, then two rak‘ahs, then two rak‘ahs, then two rak‘ahs (making a total of twelve rak‘ahs), then he prayed one witr. Then he lay down until the mu’adhdhin came. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up and prayed two light rak‘ahs. Then he went out and led the morning prayer.

Umm al-Mu'minin Sayyida Hafsa (may Allah be pleased with her) said: I never saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) performing voluntary prayers while sitting, until one year before his passing, he began to perform voluntary prayers while sitting. He would recite the surah with measured recitation (tarteel), so much so that due to his tarteel, that surah would become longer than a surah that was actually longer than it.