Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
bukhari:682Yaḥyá b. Sulaymān > Ibn Wahb > Yūnus > Ibn Shihāb > Ḥamzah b. ʿAbdullāh from his father

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."  

البخاري:٦٨٢حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي يُونُسُ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ حَمْزَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَّهُ أَخْبَرَهُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ

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  

تَابَعَهُ الزُّبَيْدِيُّ وَابْنُ أَخِي الزُّهْرِيِّ وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ يَحْيَى الْكَلْبِيُّ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ وَقَالَ عُقَيْلٌ وَمَعْمَرٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ حَمْزَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī
bukhari:678Isḥāq b. Naṣr > Ḥusayn > Zāʾidah > ʿAbd al-Malik b. ʿUmayr > Abū Burdah > Abū Mūsá

"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.  

البخاري:٦٧٨حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ نَصْرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حُسَيْنٌ عَنْ زَائِدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بُرْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى قَالَ

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  

bukhari:3385al-Rabīʿ b. Yaḥyá al-Baṣrī > Zāʾidah > ʿAbd al-Malik b. ʿUmayr > Abū Burdah b. Abū Mūsá from his father

When the Prophet ﷺ fell ill, he said, "Order Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer." ʿAisha said, "Abu Bakr is a soft-hearted person. The Prophet ﷺ gave the same order again and she again gave the same reply. He again said, "Order Abu Bakr (to lead the prayer)! You are (like) the female companions of Joseph." Consequently Abu Bakr led the people in prayer in the life-time of the Prophet.  

البخاري:٣٣٨٥حَدَّثَنَا الرَّبِيعُ بْنُ يَحْيَى الْبَصْرِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا زَائِدَةُ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ بْنِ أَبِي مُوسَى عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ

مَرِضَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَقَالَ مُرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ فَقَالَتْ إِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ مِثْلَهُ فَقَالَتْ مِثْلَهُ فَقَالَ مُرُوهُ فَإِنَّكُنَّ صَوَاحِبُ يُوسُفَ فَأَمَّ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فِي حَيَاةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ حُسَيْنٌ عَنْ زَائِدَةَ رَجُلٌ رَقِيقٌ