Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 7358 — What the Prophet (peace and blessings)

Ubaydullah bin Abdullah bin Utbah said: I went to Umm al-Mu'minin Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and said to her: "Will you tell me about the final illness of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?" She said: "Certainly. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) became very heavy (with illness), he asked: 'Have the people prayed?' I said: 'No, not yet. O Messenger of Allah, they are waiting for you.' He said: 'Put some water in the tub for me.' So we did that. He took a bath, then he got up with difficulty, but he fainted. After a while he came round and asked: 'Have the people prayed?' We said: 'No, they are waiting for you.' He said: 'Put some water in the tub for me.' We did that. He took a bath, then he got up with difficulty, but he fainted. After a while he came round and asked: 'Have the people prayed?' We said: 'No, O Messenger of Allah, they are waiting for you.' The people were staying in the mosque, waiting for him to pray the Isha prayer. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) sent a message to Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer. The messenger of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Abu Bakr and told him: 'The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commands you to lead the people in prayer.' Abu Bakr was a soft-hearted man, and he said to Umar: 'You lead the prayer.' Umar said: 'You are more entitled to it.' So during those days Abu Bakr led the people in prayer." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "Then his condition improved somewhat, and he went to the mosque for the Zuhr prayer, walking between two men and leaning on them. At that time Abu Bakr was leading the people in prayer. When Abu Bakr saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he began to step back. He signalled to him not to step back and said to those two men: 'Seat me beside him.' They seated the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) beside him. Abu Bakr was standing and following the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the people were following the prayer of Abu Bakr, while the blessed Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was praying sitting."
Ubaydullah said: I went to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) and said to him: "Shall I relate to you the account of the final illness of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated to me?" He said: "Yes, relate it." I related it, and he did not reject a single thing in that account.