"The Imam is appointed to be followed. If he prays standing then pray standing; when he bows, bow; when he says, Sami' Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears those who praise Him), say 'Rabbana lakalhamd (Our Lord, to You be praise); and if he prays sitting then pray sitting, all of you."  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ رَكِبَ فَرَسًا فَصُرِعَ عَنْهُ فَجُحِشَ شِقُّهُ الأَيْمَنُ فَصَلَّى صَلاَةً مِنَ الصَّلَوَاتِ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٌ فَصَلَّيْنَا وَرَاءَهُ قُعُودًا فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ قَالَ إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الإِمَامُ لِيُؤْتَمَّ بِهِ فَإِذَا صَلَّى قَائِمًا فَصَلُّوا قِيَامًا وَإِذَا رَكَعَ فَارْكَعُوا وَإِذَا قَالَ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ فَقُولُوا رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ وَإِذَا صَلَّى جَالِسًا فَصَلُّوا جُلُوسًا أَجْمَعُونَ  

"When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ became seriously ill, Bilal came to tell him it was time to pray and he said: 'Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer."' She said: "I said: '0 Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Abu Bakr is a tender-hearted man, and when he stands in your place he will not be able to make the people hear his voice; why don't you tell 'Umar (to do it)?' He said: 'Tell a Abu Bakr to lead the people in the prayer.' I said to Hafsah: 'Tell him.' So she told him. He said: 'You are (like) the female companions of Yosuf. Tell Abu Bakr lead the people in prayer."' She said: "So they told Abu Bakr. When he started to pray, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ began to feel better, so he got up and came with the help of two men, with his feet dragging along the ground. (When) he entered the Masjid, Abu Bakr heard him coming and he wanted to step back, but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gestured to him: 'Stay where you are.' Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came and sat on Abu Bakr's left, so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was leading the people in prayer sitting, and Abu Bakr was standing and following the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the people were following the prayer of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him."  

لَمَّا ثَقُلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ جَاءَ بِلاَلٌ يُؤْذِنُهُ بِالصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ مُرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ قَالَتْ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ رَجُلٌ أَسِيفٌ وَإِنَّهُ مَتَى يَقُومُ فِي مَقَامِكَ لاَ يُسْمِعُ النَّاسَ فَلَوْ أَمَرْتَ عُمَرَ فَقَالَ مُرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ فَقُلْتُ لِحَفْصَةَ قُولِي لَهُ فَقَالَتْ لَهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّكُنَّ لأَنْتُنَّ صَوَاحِبَاتُ يُوسُفَ مُرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ قَالَتْ فَأَمَرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ وَجَدَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ خِفَّةً قَالَتْ فَقَامَ يُهَادَى بَيْنَ رَجُلَيْنِ وَرِجْلاَهُ تَخُطَّانِ فِي الأَرْضِ فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ سَمِعَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ حِسَّهُ فَذَهَبَ لِيَتَأَخَّرَ فَأَوْمَأَ إِلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنْ قُمْ كَمَا أَنْتَ قَالَتْ فَجَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى قَامَ عَنْ يَسَارِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ جَالِسًا فَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ جَالِسًا وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ قَائِمًا يَقْتَدِي أَبُو بَكْرٍ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَالنَّاسُ يَقْتَدُونَ بِصَلاَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ؓ  

"I entered upon Aisha and said: 'Will you not tell me about the sickness of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' She said: 'When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, became seriously ill, he said: "Have the people prayed?" We said: "No, they are waiting for you, 0 Messenger of Allah ﷺ" He said: "Put some water in a tub for me." We did that and he performed Ghusl, then he tried to get up but he fainted. Then he came to us and said: "Have the people prayed?" We said: "No, they are waiting for you, 0 Messenger of Allah ﷺ." He said: "Put some water in a tub for me." We did that and he performed Ghusl, then he tried to get up but he fainted. Then for the third time he said the same thing. She said: The people were in the Masjid, waiting for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to lead the prayer. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent word to Abu Bakr, telling him to lead the people in prayer, so the messenger came to him and said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ is telling you to lead the people in prayer." Abu Bakr was a tenderhearted man, he said: "0 'Umar. lead the in prayer." But ('Umar) said: "You have more right to that." So Abu Bakr led them in prayer during those days. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ felt a little better, he came with the help of two men, one of whom was Al-'Abbas, to pray Zuhr. When Abu Bakr saw him, he wanted to step back, but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gestured to him not to step back. He told them (the two men) to seat him beside Abu Bakr, and Abu Bakr started to pray standing. The people were following the prayer of Abu Bakr and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was praying sitting."' "I ('Ubaidullah) entered upon Ibn Abbas and said 'Shall I not tell you what Aisha narrated to me about the sickness of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' He said: 'Yes.' So I told him and he did not deny any of it, but he said: 'Did she tell you the name of the man who was with Al-'Abbas?' I said: 'No.' He said: 'That was Ali, may Allah honor his face."'  

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ فَقُلْتُ أَلاَ تُحَدِّثِينِي عَنْ مَرَضِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ لَمَّا ثَقُلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ أَصَلَّى النَّاسُ فَقُلْنَا لاَ وَهُمْ يَنْتَظِرُونَكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ ضَعُوا لِي مَاءً فِي الْمِخْضَبِ فَفَعَلْنَا فَاغْتَسَلَ ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ لِيَنُوءَ فَأُغْمِيَ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ أَفَاقَ فَقَالَ أَصَلَّى النَّاسُ قُلْنَا لاَ هُمْ يَنْتَظِرُونَكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ ضَعُوا لِي مَاءً فِي الْمِخْضَبِ فَفَعَلْنَا فَاغْتَسَلَ ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ لِيَنُوءَ ثُمَّ أُغْمِيَ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِ قَالَتْ وَالنَّاسُ عُكُوفٌ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ يَنْتَظِرُونَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِصَلاَةِ الْعِشَاءِ فَأَرْسَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ أَنْ صَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ فَجَاءَهُ الرَّسُولُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تُصَلِّيَ بِالنَّاسِ وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رَجُلاً رَقِيقًا فَقَالَ يَا عُمَرُ صَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ فَقَالَ أَنْتَ أَحَقُّ بِذَلِكَ فَصَلَّى بِهِمْ أَبُو بَكْرٍ تِلْكَ الأَيَّامَ ثُمَّ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَجَدَ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ خِفَّةً فَجَاءَ يُهَادَى بَيْنَ رَجُلَيْنِ أَحَدُهُمَا الْعَبَّاسُ لِصَلاَةِ الظُّهْرِ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ذَهَبَ لِيَتَأَخَّرَ فَأَوْمَأَ إِلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنْ لاَ يَتَأَخَّرَ وَأَمَرَهُمَا فَأَجْلَسَاهُ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ فَجَعَلَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ يُصَلِّي قَائِمًا وَالنَّاسُ يُصَلُّونَ بِصَلاَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي قَاعِدًا فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ فَقُلْتُ أَلاَ أَعْرِضُ عَلَيْكَ مَا حَدَّثَتْنِي عَائِشَةُ عَنْ مَرَضِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ نَعَمْ فَحَدَّثْتُهُ فَمَا أَنْكَرَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ أَسَمَّتْ لَكَ الرَّجُلَ الَّذِي كَانَ مَعَ الْعَبَّاسِ قُلْتُ لاَ قَالَ هُوَ عَلِيٌّ كَرَّمَ اللَّهُ وَجْهَهُ