1.Hadith 1:633
Narrated Al-Aswad:
“We were with ‘Aisha discussing the regularity of offering the prayer and dignifying it. She said, ‘When Allah’s Apostle fell sick with the fatal illness and when the time of prayer became due and Adhan was pronounced, he said, ‘Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer.’ He was told that Abu Bakr was a soft-hearted man and would not be able to lead the prayer in his place. The Prophet gave the same order again but he was given the same reply. He gave the order for the third time and said, ‘You (women) are the companions of Joseph. Tell Abu Bakr to lead the prayer.’ So Abu Bakr came out to lead the prayer. In the meantime the condition of the Prophet improved a bit and he came out with the help of two men one on each side. As if I was observing his legs dragging on the ground owing to the disease. Abu Bakr wanted to retreat but the Prophet beckoned him to remain at his place and the Prophet was brought till he sat beside Abu Bakr.” Al-A’mash was asked, “Was the Prophet praying and Abu Bakr following him, and were the people following Abu Bakr in that prayer?” Al-A’mash replied in the affirmative with a nod of his head. Abu Muawiya said, “The Prophet was sitting on the left side of Abu Bakr who was praying while standing.”
If Abu Bakr was a Caliphate because he lead prayers then how come the Prophet was sitting on the left side? Does that mean the Prophet Muhammad was exempted from becoming the Imam of the prayers?Does that mean the Prophet was just sitting near Abu Bakr and not praying?
The answer is that during that time the only leading the prayers has to be the Prophet Muhammad (saw)or else its going to be wrong to think that the Prophet was not praying at end of his life istagforallah. So this hadeeth doesn’t prove that Abu Bakr actually lead prayers.
2. Abu Bakr has never followed the army of Usama when the Prophet s.a.w.w said: Volume 9, Book 89, Number 297:
The Prophet (saw) in his illness said: “Make the army of Usama leave, may Allah (saw) curse be upon whoever refuses to join it.” And then a group of people said: ‘We must comply his order.’ And Usama left Madinah (and waited in Al-Jarf for people to join him). Some people said: ‘The illness of the Prophet (saw) has got worse, our hearts can’t bear to leave him in this situation, we wait to see what will happen.’
Source: Al-Mihal Wa Al-Nihal. Vol. 1, Pg. # 30.
“Ahmed ibn Ishaq ibn Salih has narrated a tradition to us from Ahmed ibn Siyar from Sa`d ibn Kathir al-Ansari whose men quote `Abdullah ibn `Abdul-Rahman saying that when the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) fell sick shortly before his death, he appointed Usamah ibn Zayd ibn Harithah to take charge in leading an army most of which were men from the Muhajirün and the Ansar. Among them were: Abu Bakr, `Umer, Abu `Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah, `Abdul-Rahmn ibn `Awf, Talhah, and al-Zubayr, and ordered him to invade Mu’ta, where his father Zayd had been murdered, and to invade the valley of Palestine.
Usamah slackened, and so did the rest of the army, and the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, though sick, kept emphasizing that the army must rush there, till Usamah said to him: `O Messenger of Allah! Would you permit me to stay for a few days till Allah Almighty heals you?’ He answered: `Go and proceed, supported by the blessings of Allah.’ He said: `O Messenger of Allah! If I proceed while you are sick like that, I will be going with a heart swollen with pain.’ He (pbuh) said: `Proceed towards victory in good health.’ Usamah persisted: `But I hate to keep asking the travellers about your condition.’ He said: `Proceed to carry out my orders,’ then he, peace be upon him and his progeny, fainted. Usamah left and prepared to proceed. When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) regained his consciousness, he immediately inquired about Usamah, and he was told that he and his men were preparing to proceed, whereupon he kept repeating: `Carry out Usamah’s mission; the curse of Allah be upon whoever dodges its draft.’
Usamah finally left the city, the flag above his head, surrounded by the companions, till he reached Jurf. In his company were Abu Bakr, `Umer, and most of the Muhajirün and the Ansar such as Asid ibn Hadr, Bashir ibn Sa`d, and many other dignitaries. Then he received a messenger sent by Umm Ayman who informed him to go ahead and enter the city because the Prophet (pbuh) was dying. He immediately left for Medina with the standard still in his hand. Having reached the Prophet’s residence, he planted it at the door just when the Prophet (pbuh) had died.”
.أن أسامة قد جاء رسول الله وقد ثقل عليه المرض فاستأذنه أسامة ليمكث حتى يشفى رسول الله، فقال الرسول: (أخرج وسر على بركة الله) فقال أسامة: (إن خرجت وأنت على هذه الحالة خرجت وفي قلبي قرحة) وقال الرسول: (سر على النصر والعافية) فقال أسامة: يا رسول الله إني أكره أن أسائل عنك الركبان فقال النبي: (أنفذ لما أمرتك به)…ثم أغمي على الرسول، وقام أسامة فتجهز للخروج، فلما أفاق الرسول سأل عن بعث أسامة وجعل يقول: (انفذوا بعث أسامة، لعن الله من تخلف عن بعث أسامة، وكرر الرسول ذلك، فخرج أسامة واللواء على رأسه والصحابة بين يديه)…
Al-Sakhawi:
The Prophet (saw) appointed him (Usama) when he was about eighteen years old as the commander of an army in which Aboo Bakr and Umar were soldiers. Then Aboo Bakr (when he became Caliph) sent him and requested him to let Umar stay(in Madinah) beside him to help him, so Usama let Umar stay. Therefore it is narrated that Umar did not meet him unless he said: “Peace be unto you O commander, and Allah’s Mercy and Blessings upon you, you are a leader that the Messenger of Allah (saw) appointed and died and you are still leader over me.”
Source: Taufhhfatul Latifa. Vol. 1, Pg. # 286.
Al-Mizzi:
Usama ibn Zayd ibn Haritha ibn Sharahil Al-Kalbi, Aboo Muhammad called Aboo Zayd or Aboo Yazeed and also Aboo Haritha Al-Madani, Hib ibn Al-Hib, slave of the Messenger of Allah (saw). His mother is Umm Ayman, the servant of the Messenger of Allah (saw). The Messenger of Allah (saw) appointed him as the leader of an army in which Aboo Bakr and Umar were soldiers, the army did not leave until the Prophet (saw) died.
Source: Tahdeeb Al-Kamal. Vol. 2, Pg. # 339 – 340.
Al-Ya’muri:
…it remained not a single person of the heads of Muhajiroon and Ansaar unless he was to go in that battle, such as Aboo Bakr and Umar, Aboo Ubayda ibn Al-Jarrah, Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas, Sa’eed ibn Zayd, Qutada Al-No’man and Salama ibn Aslam ibn Haris…
Source: Uyoon Al-Athar. Vol. 2, Pg. # 369.
Al-Safadi:
The Messenger of Allah (saw) sent Usama in an army in which Aboo Bakr and Umar were sent, then the people criticized this because he was son of a servant and was less than twenty years old. When this news reached the Prophet (saw) it was when he was ill, so he went over the Mimbar (pulpit) and said that famous Hadeeth.
Source: Al-Wafi Bil Wafayat. Vol. 8, Pg. # 242.
Al-Balazari:
Narrated Abbas ibn Hisham from his father from his grandfather from Abi Saleh from Ibn Abbas who said: the Messenger of Allah(saw) came out with his head uncovered, till he sat on his Minbar, and people were critisizing their expedition towards Mu’ta, and the most severe person in speech about it was Ayyash ibn Abo Rabi’a, then the Prophet(saw) said: O People, equip the army of Usama, verily you have critisized his leadership as you critisized the leadership of his father before. and indeed his father was capable of leadership and indeed he is capable too. and in the army of Usama were: Aboo Bakar, Umar, and the heads of Al-Muhajirin and Al-Ansaar. and he came out and went with his army to Al-Jurf. When the Messenger of Allah(saw) died and Aboo Bakar became Caliph, Usama came and said: you know my position according to the Prophet(saw), and I need the presence of Umar and his flag in the army, Aboo Bakar said: I ask you to leave him here. so he let him, and Usama went and came back victorius with Ghanaem, and people became happy for that.
Source: Ansaab Al-Ashraaf. Vol. 1, Pg. # 474.
Ibn Al-Athir:
What happened in the year 11 after Hijra:
In the Month of Muharram of this year, the Prophet (saw) equipped an army towards Al-Shaam (Syria) and appointed his servant Usama ibn Zayd as its commander and told him to take the army through Al-Balqa and Al-Daroom in the land of Palestine. Then the Munafiqeen (hypocrites) criticized the leadership of him and said: ‘He (i.e. The Prophet (saw)) has appointed a boy over the heads of Muhajireen and Ansaar!’ The Prophet (saw) said: “If you are criticizing Usama’s leadership, you used to criticize his father’s leadership before too. By Allah! He is worthy of leadership like his father who was worthy of it.” And He (i.e. the Prophet (saw)) sent the early Muhajiroon with Usama; among them were Aboo Bakr and Umar, and the people were in this situation (i.e. they were hesitating) until the illness of the Messenger of Allah (saw) began.
Source: Al-Kamil Fi Tarikh. Vol. 2, Pg. # 182.
Ibn Jawzi:
The Messenger of Allah (saw) sent an army and appointed Usama as its commander, then the people criticized his leadership. You should know that most of the people look at the outer side of things. The Prophet (saw) thinks about the other side, the people looked at the young age of Usama, and that he was son of a servant, and the Prophet (saw) saw that he was good in leadership specially for that battle that he was going to send him to where his father was killed. And he did such with Amr ibn Al-Aas too, he appointed him as a leader over an army in which Aboo Bakr and Umar were (his soldiers), not because he was superior over them, but because he was more intelligent and skilful in battles. And this army that Usama was the commander of, it was to fight with the people of Abna, so he said to him: “Go to where your father was killed and surround them, leave tomorrow, and be fast.” Then he sent with him the heads of Muhajirun and Ansaar, among them were Aboo Bakr, Umar, Sa’d, Sa’eed and Aboo Ubayda. Then some people criticized this and said: ‘He (i.e. the Prophet (saw)) has appointed this boy as leader over the early Muhajirun.’ The Messenger of Allah (saw) became very angry, an intense anger and that was the beginning of his illness. Then he went out without covering his head and climbed the Mimbar (pulpit) and said: “If you criticize his leadership (it is not something new), you were criticizing the leadership of his father too, by Allah (swt) he was worthy of leadership i.e. Zayd, and he was among the dearest people to me and this son of him is the dearest to me after his father.” When Usama ordered his soldiers to leave, the messenger of his mother Umm Ayman came and said: “The Messenger of Allah (saw) died.” So he came back to Madinah when the Prophet (saw) died and people paid allegiance to Aboo Bakr. He let him to go, and Aboo Bakr talked with him about Umar to let him stay in Madinah and he did. When he went to the people of Abna he fought with them and took captives and killed the killer of his father. And the Messenger of Allah (saw) used to encourage him to be brave and the love of Jihad and taking the blood of his father. When he came back, Aboo Bakr together with Muhajirun and Ansaar met them and became happy about their health.”
Source: Kashf Al-Mush’kil Min Hadeeth Al-Sahihain. Vol. 2, Pg. # 560 – 561.
Ibn Sa’d:
…it remained not a single person of the heads of Muhajireen and Ansaar unless he was to go in that battle, such as Aboo Bakr and Umar, Aboo Ubayda ibn Al-Jarrah, Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas, Sa’eed ibn Zayd, Qutada ibn Al-No’man and Salama ibn Aslam ibn Harish…
Source: Tabaqat Al-Kubra (Printed in Beirut, Lebanon, Dar Kutub Al-Ilmiyya). Vol. 2, Pg. # 146.
Nafi’ the slave of Abdullah ibn Umar
Nafi’ (Bukhari, Muslim and the four Sunan have narrated his narrations). The Imam, the trusted Mufti, scholar of Madinah, Aboo Abdullah Al-Qurashi, then Al-Adawi Al-Umari, slave of ibn Umar. He has narrated from ibn Umar, A’isha, Abi Huraira, Rafi’ ibn Khudaij, Abi Sa’eed Al-Khudri, Umm Salama, Abi Lubabat ibn Abdul-Munzir…Narrated from him, Al-Zuhri, Ayoob Al-Sukhtiyani, Ubaidallah ibn Umar…
Source: Siyar A’lam An-Nu’bala. Vol. 5, Pg. # 95.