The Prophet was seriously ill, and he asked whether the people had prayed. When I told him that they had not, but were waiting for him, he asked me to put some water for him in the tub, and I did so. He bathed, and when he was about to rise with difficulty he fainted. When he came round he asked if the people had prayed, and when I told him that they had not, but were waiting for him, he told me to put some water for him in the tub and sat down and bathed, but when he was about to rise with difficulty he fainted. On coming round he asked whether the people had prayed, and when I told him they had not, but were waiting for him, he asked me to put some water for him in the tub and sat down and bathed, but when he was about to rise with difficulty he fainted. When he came round he asked whether the people had prayed and I told him they had not, but were waiting for him. The people were staying in the mosque waiting for the Prophet for the last evening prayer, so the Prophet sent instructions to Abu Bakr to lead the people in the prayer. When the Messenger came to him and told him God’s Messenger was ordering him to lead the people in the prayer, Abu Bakr, who was a sensitive man, told ‘Umar to lead the people, but when ‘Umar replied, “You are more entitled to that,” Abu Bakr led the prayers during those days. Afterwards the Prophet experienced some improvement in his condition and went out between two men, one of whom was al-‘Abbas, to the noon prayer when Abu Bakr was leading the people. When Abu Bakr saw him he began to withdraw, but the Prophet signed to him not to do so. He told his two companions to set him down beside Abu Bakr, and they did so and he remained seated. ‘Ubaidallah said that he visited ‘Abdallah b. ‘Abbas and asked if he might submit to him what ‘A’isha had told him about the illness of God’s Messenger, and he said, “Go ahead.” He submitted to him what she had told and he objected to none of it, only asking whether she had named to him the man who accompanied al- ‘Abbas. When he replied that she had not, he said that he was ‘Ali. (Bukhari and Muslim.)