ʿAisha said, "O my head!" Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If that (i.e., your death) should happen while I am still alive, I would ask Allah to forgive you and would invoke Allah for you." ʿAisha said, "O my life which is going to be lost! By Allah, I think that you wish for my death, and if that should happen then you would be busy enjoying the company of one of your wives in the last part of that day." The Prophet said, "But I should say, 'O my head!' I feel like calling Abu Bakr and his son and appoint (the former as my successors lest people should say something or wish for something. Allah will insist (on Abu Bakr becoming a Caliph) and the believers will prevent (anyone else from claiming the Caliphate)," or "..Allah will prevent (anyone else from claiming the Caliphate) and the believers will insist (on Abu Bakr becoming the Caliph).  

وَارَأْسَاهْ! فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ذَاكِ لَوْ كَانَ وَأَنَا حَىٌّ فَأَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكِ وَأَدْعُو لَكِ فَقَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ وَاثُكْلِيَاهْ وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَظُنُّكَ تُحِبُّ مَوْتِي وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَاكَ لَظَلِلْتَ آخِرَ يَوْمِكَ مُعَرِّسًا بِبَعْضِ أَزْوَاجِكَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بَلْ أَنَا وَارَأْسَاهْ لَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَوْ أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أُرْسِلَ إِلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَابْنِهِ فَأَعْهَدَ أَنْ يَقُولَ الْقَائِلُونَ أَوْ يَتَمَنَّى الْمُتَمَنُّونَ ثُمَّ قُلْتُ يَأْبَى اللَّهُ وَيَدْفَعُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ أَوْ يَدْفَعُ اللَّهُ وَيَأْبَى الْمُؤْمِنُونَ  

It was said to ʿUmar, "Will you appoint your successor?" ʿUmar said, "If I appoint a Caliph (as my successor) it is true that somebody who was better than I (i.e., Abu Bakr) did so, and if I leave the matter undecided, it is true that somebody who was better than I (i.e., Messenger of Allah ﷺ) did so." On this, the people praised him. ʿUmar said, "People are of two kinds: Either one who is keen to take over the Caliphate or one who is afraid of assuming such a responsibility. I wish I could be free from its responsibility in that I would receive neither reward nor retribution I won't bear the burden of the caliphate in my death as I do in my life."  

إِنْ أَسْتَخْلِفْ فَقَدِ اسْتَخْلَفَ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَإِنْ أَتْرُكْ فَقَدْ تَرَكَ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ رَاغِبٌ رَاهِبٌ وَدِدْتُ أَنِّي نَجَوْتُ مِنْهَا كَفَافًا لاَ لِي وَلاَ عَلَىَّ لاَ أَتَحَمَّلُهَا حَيًّا وَمَيِّتًا  

That he heard ʿUmar's second speech he delivered when he sat on the pulpit on the day following the death of the Prophet ﷺ ʿUmar recited the Tashahhud while Abu Bakr was silent. ʿUmar said, "I wish that Messenger of Allah ﷺ had outlived all of us, i.e., had been the last (to die). But if Muhammad is dead, Allah nevertheless has kept the light amongst you from which you can receive the same guidance as Allah guided Muhammad with that. And Abu Bakr is the companion of Messenger of Allah ﷺ He is the second of the two in the cave. He is the most entitled person among the Muslims to manage your affairs. Therefore get up and swear allegiance to him." Some people had already taken the oath of allegiance to him in the shed of Bani Saʿida but the oath of allegiance taken by the public was taken at the pulpit. I heard ʿUmar saying to Abu Bakr on that day. "Please ascend the pulpit," and kept on urging him till he ascended the pulpit whereupon, all the people swore allegiance to him.  

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ خُطْبَةَ عُمَرَ الآخِرَةَ حِينَ جَلَسَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ وَذَلِكَ الْغَدُ مِنْ يَوْمٍ تُوُفِّيَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَتَشَهَّدَ وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ صَامِتٌ لاَ يَتَكَلَّمُ قَالَ كُنْتُ أَرْجُو أَنْ يَعِيشَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى يَدْبُرَنَا يُرِيدُ بِذَلِكَ أَنْ يَكُونَ آخِرَهُمْ فَإِنْ يَكُ مُحَمَّدٌ ﷺ قَدْ مَاتَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى قَدْ جَعَلَ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِكُمْ نُورًا تَهْتَدُونَ بِهِ بِمَا هَدَى اللَّهُ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ وَإِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ صَاحِبُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ ثَانِي اثْنَيْنِ فَإِنَّهُ أَوْلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ بِأُمُورِكُمْ فَقُومُوا فَبَايِعُوهُ وَكَانَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ قَدْ بَايَعُوهُ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ فِي سَقِيفَةِ بَنِي سَاعِدَةَ وَكَانَتْ بَيْعَةُ الْعَامَّةِ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ سَمِعْتُ عُمَرَ يَقُولُ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ يَوْمَئِذٍ اصْعَدِ الْمِنْبَرَ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ بِهِ حَتَّى صَعِدَ الْمِنْبَرَ فَبَايَعَهُ النَّاسُ عَامَّةً  

A woman came to the Prophet ﷺ and spoke to him about something and he told her to return to him. She said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! If I come and do not find you?" (As if she meant, "...if you die?") The Prophet said, "If you should not find me, then go to Abu Bakr."  

أَتَتِ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ امْرَأَةٌ فَكَلَّمَتْهُ فِي شَىْءٍ فَأَمَرَهَا أَنْ تَرْجِعَ إِلَيْهِ قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ جِئْتُ وَلَمْ أَجِدْكَ كَأَنَّهَا تُرِيدُ الْمَوْتَ قَالَ إِنْ لَمْ تَجِدِينِي فَأْتِي أَبَا بَكْرٍ  

Abu Bakr said to the delegate of Buzakha. "Follow the tails of the camels till Allah shows the Caliph (successor) of His Prophet and Al-Muhajirin (emigrants) something because of which you may excuse yourselves."  

لِوَفْدِ بُزَاخَةَ تَتْبَعُونَ أَذْنَابَ الإِبِلِ حَتَّى يُرِيَ اللَّهُ خَلِيفَةَ نَبِيِّهِ ﷺ وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ أَمْرًا يَعْذِرُونَكُمْ بِهِ