The Book of Prayers — Hadith 842

Arabic Text

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ، وَعَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لاِبْنِ رَافِعٍ - قَالَ عَبْدٌ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ ابْنُ رَافِعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، - أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ وَأَخْبَرَنِي حَمْزَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ لَمَّا دَخَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَيْتِي قَالَ ‏"‏ مُرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَتْ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ رَجُلٌ رَقِيقٌ إِذَا قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ لاَ يَمْلِكُ دَمْعَهُ فَلَوْ أَمَرْتَ غَيْرَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ‏.‏ قَالَتْ وَاللَّهِ مَا بِي إِلاَّ كَرَاهِيَةُ أَنْ يَتَشَاءَمَ النَّاسُ بِأَوَّلِ مَنْ يَقُومُ فِي مَقَامِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَتْ فَرَاجَعْتُهُ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا فَقَالَ ‏"‏ لِيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَإِنَّكُنَّ صَوَاحِبُ يُوسُفَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

English Translation

'A'isha reported: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to my house, he said: Ask Abu Bakr to lead people in prayer. 'A'isha narrated: I said, Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr is a man of tenderly feelings; as he recites the Qur'an, he cannot help shedding tears: so better command anyone else to lead the prayer. By Allah, there is nothing disturbing in it for me but the idea that the people may not takeevil omen with regard to one who is the first to occupy the place of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I tried to dissuade him (the Holy Prophet) twice or thrice (from appointing my father as an Imam in prayer), but he ordered Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer and said: You women are like those (who had) surrounded Yusuf.