"The Prophet ﷺ became sick and when his disease became aggravated, he said, "Tell Abu Bakr to lead the prayer." ʿAisha said, "He is a softhearted man and would not be able to lead the prayer in your place." The Prophet ﷺ said again, "Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer." She repeated the same reply but he said, "Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer. You are the companions of Joseph." So the messenger went to Abu Bakr (with that order) and he led the people in prayer in the lifetime of the Prophet.  

مَرِضَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَاشْتَدَّ مَرَضُهُ فَقَالَ مُرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ إِنَّهُ رَجُلٌ رَقِيقٌ إِذَا قَامَ مَقَامَكَ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ بِالنَّاسِ قَالَ مُرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ فَعَادَتْ فَقَالَ مُرِي أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ فَإِنَّكُنَّ صَوَاحِبُ يُوسُفَ فَأَتَاهُ الرَّسُولُ فَصَلَّى بِالنَّاسِ فِي حَيَاةِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ  

the mother of the believers: Messenger of Allah ﷺ in his illness said, "Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer." I said to him, "If Abu Bakr stands in your place, the people would not hear him owing to his (excessive) weeping. So please order ʿUmar to lead the prayer." ʿAisha added I said to Hafsa, "Say to him: If Abu Bakr should lead the people in the prayer in your place, the people would not be able to hear him owing to his weeping; so please, order ʿUmar to lead the prayer." Hafsa did so but Allah's Apostle said, "Keep quiet! You are verily the Companions of Joseph. Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in the prayer. " Hafsa said to ʿAisha, "I never got anything good from you."  

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أُمِّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ؓ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ فِي مَرَضِهِ مُرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ يُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ قُلْتُ إِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ إِذَا قَامَ فِي مَقَامِكَ لَمْ يُسْمِعِ النَّاسَ مِنَ الْبُكَاءِ فَمُرْ عُمَرَ فَلْيُصَلِّ لِلنَّاسِ فَقَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ فَقُلْتُ لِحَفْصَةَ قُولِي لَهُ إِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ إِذَا قَامَ فِي مَقَامِكَ لَمْ يُسْمِعِ النَّاسَ مِنَ الْبُكَاءِ فَمُرْ عُمَرَ فَلْيُصَلِّ لِلنَّاسِ فَفَعَلَتْ حَفْصَةُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَهْ إِنَّكُنَّ لأَنْتُنَّ صَوَاحِبُ يُوسُفَ مُرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ لِلنَّاسِ فَقَالَتْ حَفْصَةُ لِعَائِشَةَ مَا كُنْتُ لأُصِيبَ مِنْكِ خَيْرًا  

Anas bin Malik Al-Ansari, told me, "Abu Bakr used to lead the people in prayer during the fatal illness of the Prophet ﷺ till it was Monday. When the people aligned (in rows) for the prayer the Prophet ﷺ lifted the curtain of his house and started looking at us and was standing at that time. His face was (glittering) like a page of the Qur'an and he smiled cheerfully. We were about to be put to trial for the pleasure of seeing the Prophet, Abu Bakr retreated to join the row as he thought that the Prophet ﷺ would lead the prayer. The Prophet ﷺ beckoned us to complete the prayer and he let the curtain fall. On the same day he died."  

أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ كَانَ يُصَلِّي لَهُمْ فِي وَجَعِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ الَّذِي تُوُفِّيَ فِيهِ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ الاِثْنَيْنِ وَهُمْ صُفُوفٌ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَكَشَفَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ سِتْرَ الْحُجْرَةِ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْنَا وَهْوَ قَائِمٌ كَأَنَّ وَجْهَهُ وَرَقَةُ مُصْحَفٍ ثُمَّ تَبَسَّمَ يَضْحَكُ فَهَمَمْنَا أَنْ نَفْتَتِنَ مِنَ الْفَرَحِ بِرُؤْيَةِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَنَكَصَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ لِيَصِلَ الصَّفَّ وَظَنَّ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ خَارِجٌ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ فَأَشَارَ إِلَيْنَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَنْ أَتِمُّوا صَلاَتَكُمْ وَأَرْخَى السِّتْرَ فَتُوُفِّيَ مِنْ يَوْمِهِ  

The Prophet ﷺ did not come out for three days. The people stood for the prayer and Abu Bakr went ahead to lead the prayer. (In the meantime) the Prophet ﷺ caught hold of the curtain and lifted it. When the face of the Prophet ﷺ appeared we had never seen a scene more pleasing than the face of the Prophet ﷺ as it appeared then. The Prophet ﷺ beckoned to Abu Bakr to lead the people in the prayer and then let the curtain fall. We did not see him (again) till he died.  

لَمْ يَخْرُجِ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ ثَلاَثًا فَأُقِيمَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَذَهَبَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ يَتَقَدَّمُ فَقَالَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِالْحِجَابِ فَرَفَعَهُ فَلَمَّا وَضَحَ وَجْهُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مَا نَظَرْنَا مَنْظَرًا كَانَ أَعْجَبَ إِلَيْنَا مِنْ وَجْهِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ حِينَ وَضَحَ لَنَا فَأَوْمَأَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بِيَدِهِ إِلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ أَنْ يَتَقَدَّمَ وَأَرْخَى النَّبِيُّ ﷺ الْحِجَابَ فَلَمْ يُقْدَرْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى مَاتَ  

My father said, "When Messenger of Allah ﷺ became seriously ill, he was told about the prayer. He said, 'Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in the prayer.' ʿAisha said, 'Abu Bakr is a softhearted man and he would be overpowered by his weeping if he recited the Qur'an.' He said to them, 'Tell him (Abu Bakr) to lead the prayer. The same reply was given to him. He said again, 'Tell him to lead the prayer. You (women) are the companions of Joseph."  

لَمَّا اشْتَدَّ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَجَعُهُ قِيلَ لَهُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ مُرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ إِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ رَجُلٌ رَقِيقٌ إِذَا قَرَأَ غَلَبَهُ الْبُكَاءُ قَالَ مُرُوهُ فَيُصَلِّي فَعَاوَدَتْهُ قَالَ مُرُوهُ فَيُصَلِّي إِنَّكُنَّ صَوَاحِبُ يُوسُفَ