أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدَةَ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ كَلِمَةً مَعْنَاهَا قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو حَازِمٍ قَالَ سَهْلُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ كَانَ قِتَالٌ بَيْنَ بَنِي عَمْرِو بْنِ عَوْفٍ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَصَلَّى الظُّهْرَ ثُمَّ أَتَاهُمْ لِيُصْلِحَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِبِلَالٍ يَا بِلَالُ إِذَا حَضَرَ الْعَصْرُ وَلَمْ آتِ فَمُرْ أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ فَلَمَّا حَضَرَتْ أَذَّنَ بِلَالٌ ثُمَّ أَقَامَ فَقَالَ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ تَقَدَّمْ فَتَقَدَّمَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَدَخَلَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ ثُمَّ جَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَجَعَلَ يَشُقُّ النَّاسَ حَتَّى قَامَ خَلْفَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَصَفَّحَ الْقَوْمُ وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ إِذَا دَخَلَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ لَمْ يَلْتَفِتْ فَلَمَّا رَأَى أَبُو بَكْرٍ التَّصْفِيحَ لَا يُمْسَكُ عَنْهُ الْتَفَتَ فَأَوْمَأَ إِلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِيَدِهِ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَى قَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَهُ امْضِهْ ثُمَّ مَشَى أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْقَهْقَرَى عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ فَتَأَخَّرَ فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَقَدَّمَ فَصَلَّى بِالنَّاسِ فَلَمَّا قَضَى صَلَاتَهُ قَالَ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ مَا مَنَعَكَ إِذْ أَوْمَأْتُ إِلَيْكَ أَنْ لَا تَكُونَ مَضَيْتَ فَقَالَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِابْنِ أَبِي قُحَافَةَ أَنْ يَؤُمَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَقَالَ لِلنَّاسِ إِذَا نَابَكُمْ شَيْءٌ فَلْيُسَبِّحْ الرِّجَالُ وَلْيُصَفِّحْ النِّسَاءُ
سنن نسائی · Hadith 797
Sahl bin Saad said: “There was some fighting among Banu ‘Amr bin ‘Awf, and news of that reached the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلمHe prayed Zuhr, then he went to them to reconcile between them. Then he said to Bilal: ‘Bilal, if the time for ‘Asr comes and I have not come back, then tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer.’ When the time (for ‘Asr) came, Bilal called the Adhan, then the Iqamah, then he said to Abu Bakr: ‘Go forward. So Abu Bakr went forward and started to pray. Then the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم came and started passing through the rows of people until he stood behind Abu Bakr, and the people clapped. Abu Bakr was such that whenever he started praying, he would never glance sideways, but when he noticed that the clapping persisted he turned around. The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم gestured to him to carry on praying. Abu Bakr praised Allah the Mighty and Sublime for the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم having told him to continue. Then Abu Bakr moved backward on his heels, and when the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم saw that, he came forward and led the people in prayer. When he completed the prayer he said: ‘Abu Bakr, when I gestured to you, what kept you from continuing (to lead the people)?’ He said: ‘It does not befit the son of Abu Quhafah to lead the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم in prayer.’ And he (the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم ) said to the people: ‘If you notice something (during the prayer), men should say Subt Allah and women should clap.” (Sahih)
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020