Lady Aisha Siddiqa (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was afflicted with the illness in which he passed away, so Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) came to call him for prayer. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer. We said: O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)! Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) is a soft-hearted man. If he stands in your place, he will begin to weep. If you instruct Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), he can lead the people in prayer (that would be more appropriate). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer. He said this three times, then said: You are like the women of Yusuf’s (Joseph’s) time. Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: We sent a message to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). He began to lead the people in prayer. The Prophet (peace be upon him) felt some improvement in his health, so he went out leaning between two men. His feet were dragging lines on the ground. When Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) sensed his presence, he began to step back. The Prophet (peace be upon him) gestured to him to remain in his place. The narrator states: Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) came and sat beside Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), so Sayyiduna Abu Bakr continued to follow the Prophet (peace be upon him), and the people continued to follow Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). (Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) This narration is concise and summarized. As for its conciseness, it does not mention the place where the Prophet (peace be upon him) sat—whether he sat to the right of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) or to his left.