the Imam is appointed only to be followed ; so when he prays standing, pray standing, and when he bows, bow; when he raises himself, raise yourselves; when he says “Allah listen to him who praises Him”, “Our Lord ! to Thee be the praise”: and when he prays sitting all of you pray sitting. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 601)  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ رَكِبَ فَرَسًا فَصُرِعَ عَنْهُ فَجُحِشَ شِقُّهُ الْأَيْمَنُ فَصَلَّى صَلَاةً مِنَ الصَّلَوَاتِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ فَصَلَّيْنَا مَعَهُ جُلُوسًا فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ قَالَ إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الْإِمَامُ لِيُؤْتَمَّ بِهِ فَلَا تَخْتَلِفُوا عَلَيْهِ فَإِذَا صَلَّى قَائِمًا فَصَلُّوا قِيَامًا وَإِذَا رَكَعَ فَارْكَعُوا وَإِذَا رَفَعَ فَارْفَعُوا وَإِذَا قَالَ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ فَقُولُوا رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ وَإِنْ صَلَّى قَاعِدًا فَصَلُّوا قُعُودًا أَجْمَعُونَ  

I went to ʿAisha and asked her to describe to me the illness of Messenger of Allah ﷺ. ʿAisha said, "Yes. The Prophet became seriously ill and asked whether the people had prayed. We replied, 'No. O Allah's Apostle! They are waiting for you.' He added, 'Put water for me in a trough." ʿAisha added, "We did so. He took a bath and tried to get up but fainted. When he recovered, he again asked whether the people had prayed. We said, 'No, they are waiting for you. O Messenger of Allah ﷺ,' He again said, 'Put water in a trough for me.' He sat down and took a bath and tried to get up but fainted again. Then he recovered and said, 'Have the people prayed?' We replied, 'No, they are waiting for you. O Allah's Apostle.' He said, 'Put water for me in the trough.' Then he sat down and washed himself and tried to get up but he fainted. When he recovered, he asked, 'Have the people prayed?' We said, 'No, they are waiting for you. O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! The people were in the mosque waiting for the Prophet ﷺ for the ʿIsha prayer. The Prophet ﷺ sent for Abu Bakr to lead the people in the prayer. The messenger went to Abu Bakr and said, 'Messenger of Allah ﷺ orders you to lead the people in the prayer.' Abu Bakr was a softhearted man, so he asked ʿUmar to lead the prayer but ʿUmar replied, 'You are more rightful.' So Abu Bakr led the prayer in those days. When the Prophet ﷺ felt a bit better, he came out for the Zuhr prayer with the help of two persons one of whom was Al-ʿAbbas. while Abu Bakr was leading the people in the prayer. When Abu Bakr saw him he wanted to retreat but the Prophet ﷺ beckoned him not to do so and asked them to make him sit beside Abu Bakr and they did so. Abu Bakr was following the Prophet (in the prayer) and the people were following Abu Bakr. The Prophet (prayed) sitting." 'Ubaidullah added "I went to ʿAbdullah bin ʿAbbas and asked him, Shall I tell you what Aisha has told me about the fatal illness of the Prophet?' Ibn ʿAbbas said, 'Go ahead. I told him her narration and he did not deny anything of it but asked whether ʿAisha told me the name of the second person (who helped the Prophet ﷺ ) along with Al-Abbas. I said. 'No.' He said, 'He was ʿAli (Ibn Abi Talib). (Using translation from Bukhārī 687)  

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ فَقُلْتُ لَهَا أَلَا تُحَدِّثِينِي عَنْ مَرَضِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ؟ فَقَالَتْ بَلَى ثَقُلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ «أَصَلَّى النَّاسُ؟» قُلْنَا لَا هُمْ يَنْتَظِرُونَكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ «ضَعُوا لِي مَاءً فِي الْمِخْضَبِ» قَالَتْ فَفَعَلْنَا فَاغْتَسَلَ ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ لِيَنُوءَ فَأُغْمِيَ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ أَفَاقَ فَقَالَ «أَصَلَّى النَّاسُ؟» فَقُلْنَا لَا هُمْ يَنْتَظِرُونَكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ «ضَعُوا لِي مَاءً فِي الْمِخْضَبِ» فَفَعَلْنَا ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ لِيَنُوءَ فَأُغْمِيَ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ أَفَاقَ فَقَالَ «أَصَلَّى النَّاسُ؟» فَقُلْنَا لَا هُمْ يَنْتَظِرُونَكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَتْ وَالنَّاسُ عُكُوفٌ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ يَنْتَظِرُونَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِصَلَاةِ الْعِشَاءِ الْآخِرَةِ قَالَتْ فَأَرْسَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ بِالنَّاسِ قَالَتْ فَأَتَاهُ الرَّسُولُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَأْمُرُكَ بِأَنْ تُصَلِّيَ بِالنَّاسِ فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَكَانَ رَجُلًا رَقِيقًا يَا عُمَرُ صَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ أَنْتَ أَحَقُّ بِذَلِكَ قَالَتْ فَصَلَّى بِهِمْ أَبُو بَكْرٍ تِلْكَ الْأَيَّامَ قَالَتْ ثُمَّ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَجَدَ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ خِفَّةً فَخَرَجَ بَيْنَ رَجُلَيْنِ أَحَدُهُمَا الْعَبَّاسُ لِصَلَاةِ الظُّهْرِ وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ يُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ذَهَبَ لِيَتَأَخَّرَ فَأَوْمَأَ إِلَيْهِ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَنْ لَا يَتَأَخَّرَ وَقَالَ لَهُمَا «أَجْلِسَانِي إِلَى جَنْبِهِ» فَأَجْلَسَاهُ إِلَى جَنْبِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ قَالَتْ فَجَعَلَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ يُصَلِّي وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ بِصَلَاةِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَالنَّاسُ يُصَلُّونَ بِصَلَاةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَالنَّبِيُّ ﷺ قَاعِدٌ قَالَ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ أَلَا أَعْرِضُ عَلَيْكَ مَا حَدَّثَتْنِي عَائِشَةُ عَنْ مَرَضِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ؟ فَقَالَ هَاتِ فَعَرَضْتُ حَدِيثَهَا عَلَيْهِ فَمَا أَنْكَرَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ أَسَمَّتْ لَكَ الرَّجُلَ الَّذِي كَانَ مَعَ الْعَبَّاسِ؟ قُلْتُ لَا فَقَالَ هُوَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ