Saying subhan Allah in prayer to alert the imam

Some people from Banu Amr b. Awf had a matter between them, so the Prophet ﷺ went out to them with some of his Companions to reconcile between them. 

The time for prayer came, but the Prophet ﷺ had not arrived, so Bilal came and called the adhan for the prayer. The Prophet ﷺ still had not arrived, so Bilal came to Abu Bakr and said, “The Prophet ﷺ has been detained, and the prayer time has come, so would you lead the people in prayer?” He said, “Yes, if you wish.” So he gave the iqamah for the prayer, and Abu Bakr stepped forward. 

Then the Prophet ﷺ came, walking through the rows until he stood in the first row. The people began clapping until they did it a great deal, and Abu Bakr would hardly turn around during prayer. Then he turned and saw the Prophet ﷺ behind him. He gestured to him with his hand, instructing him to keep praying as he was. Abu Bakr raised his hand and praised Allah, then moved backward until he entered the row, and the Prophet ﷺ stepped forward and led the people in prayer.

When he finished, he turned to the people and said: "O people, what is the matter with you that when something happens to you in your prayer, you begin clapping? Clapping is only for women. Whoever has something happen to him in his prayer should say: Subhan Allah, for no one hears it except that he will turn. O Abu Bakr, what prevented you, when I gestured to you, from leading the people in prayer?" He said, “It was not fitting for the son of Abu Quhafah to pray in front of the Prophet ﷺ.”

أَنَّ أُنَاسًا مِنْ بَنِي عَمْرِو بْنِ عَوْفٍ كَانَ بَيْنَهُمْ شَىْءٌ، فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فِي أُنَاسٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ يُصْلِحُ بَيْنَهُمْ،

فَحَضَرَتِ الصَّلاَةُ وَلَمْ يَأْتِ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ، فَجَاءَ بِلاَلٌ فَأَذَّنَ بِلاَلٌ بِالصَّلاَةِ، وَلَمْ يَأْتِ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ، فَجَاءَ إِلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ فَقَالَ: إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ حُبِسَ وَقَدْ حَضَرَتِ الصَّلاَةُ، فَهَلْ لَكَ أَنْ تَؤُمَّ النَّاسَ؟ فَقَالَ: نَعَمْ إِنْ شِئْتَ. فَأَقَامَ الصَّلاَةَ، فَتَقَدَّمَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ،

ثُمَّ جَاءَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَمْشِي فِي الصُّفُوفِ حَتَّى قَامَ فِي الصَّفِّ الأَوَّلِ، فَأَخَذَ النَّاسُ بِالتَّصْفِيحِ حَتَّى أَكْثَرُوا، وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ لاَ يَكَادُ يَلْتَفِتُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ، فَالْتَفَتَ فَإِذَا هُوَ بِالنَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَرَاءَهُ، فَأَشَارَ إِلَيْهِ بِيَدِهِ فَأَمَرَهُ يُصَلِّي كَمَا هُوَ، فَرَفَعَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ يَدَهُ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ الْقَهْقَرَى وَرَاءَهُ حَتَّى دَخَلَ فِي الصَّفِّ، وَتَقَدَّمَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَصَلَّى بِالنَّاسِ.

فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَقَالَ: «يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، مَا لَكُمْ إِذَا نَابَكُمْ شَىْءٌ فِي صَلاَتِكُمْ أَخَذْتُمْ بِالتَّصْفِيحِ؟ إِنَّمَا التَّصْفِيحُ لِلنِّسَاءِ، مَنْ نَابَهُ شَىْءٌ فِي صَلاَتِهِ فَلْيَقُلْ: سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ، فَإِنَّهُ لا يَسْمَعُهُ أَحَدٌ إِلاَّ الْتَفَتَ. يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ، مَا مَنَعَكَ حِينَ أَشَرْتُ إِلَيْكَ لَمْ تُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ؟» فَقَالَ: مَا كَانَ يَنْبَغِي لاِبْنِ أَبِي قُحَافَةَ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ بَيْنَ يَدَىِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ.

It was said to the Prophet ﷺ "Would that you see ʿAbdullah bin Ubai." So, the Prophet ﷺ went to him, riding a donkey, and the Muslims accompanied him, walking on salty barren land. When the Prophet ﷺ reached ʿAbdullah bin Ubai, the latter said, "Keep away from me! By Allah, the bad smell of your donkey has harmed me." On that an Ansari man said (to ʿAbdullah), "By Allah! The smell of the donkey of Messenger of Allah ﷺ is better than your smell." On that a man from ʿAbdullah's tribe got angry for ʿAbdullah's sake, and the two men abused each other which caused the friends of the two men to get angry, and the two groups started fighting with sticks, shoes and hands. We were informed that the following Divine Verse was revealed (in this concern):-- "And if two groups of Believers fall to fighting then, make peace between them." (49.9)

قِيلَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ لَوْ أَتَيْتَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ أُبَىٍّ فَانْطَلَقَ إِلَيْهِ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَرَكِبَ حِمَارًا فَانْطَلَقَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ يَمْشُونَ مَعَهُ وَهْىَ أَرْضٌ سَبِخَةٌ فَلَمَّا أَتَاهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَقَالَ إِلَيْكَ عَنِّي وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ آذَانِي نَتْنُ حِمَارِكَ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ مِنْهُمْ وَاللَّهِ لَحِمَارُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَطْيَبُ رِيحًا مِنْكَ فَغَضِبَ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ فَشَتَمَا فَغَضِبَ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا أَصْحَابُهُ فَكَانَ بَيْنَهُمَا ضَرْبٌ بِالْجَرِيدِ وَالأَيْدِي وَالنِّعَالِ فَبَلَغَنَا أَنَّهَا أُنْزِلَتْ {وَإِنْ طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا}