Ibn Hibban

Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) became ill. We performed prayer behind him while he was praying sitting down, and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was conveying his takbir (saying Allahu Akbar) aloud to the people. The narrator says: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) turned towards us and saw us standing, so he gestured to us, and we sat down and performed that prayer sitting. When he finished the prayer with salam, he said: "It was close that you would do the action which the people of Persia and Rome do. They stand before their kings while the kings are sitting. Do not do so. Follow your imam. If he prays standing, then you also pray standing. If he prays sitting, then you also pray sitting." (Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) This explanatory narration is a clear statement that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was sitting to the left of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) became a follower (muqtadi), and he was following the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He was saying the takbir and conveying the takbir aloud to the people so that the people could follow the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw them standing, he ordered them to sit. When he finished the prayer, he again instructed them that when their imam prays sitting, they should also pray sitting. Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) participated in that prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) when he had fallen from his horse and was injured, and his right side was wounded. The incident of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) falling from his horse occurred in the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, which happened at the end of the fifth year of Hijrah. And Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) also participated in the prayer performed during the illness of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). So he narrated each of these incidents in his own words. Did you not notice that he mentioned regarding this prayer that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was saying the takbir aloud so that the people could follow the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in prayer? As for the prayer which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) performed in his house after falling from his horse, there was no need for Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to say the takbir aloud so that his voice could reach the people. The reason for this is that the chamber of Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was small. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said the takbir aloud in the mosque, which was large. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) performed prayer during his illness, what we have mentioned is authentically established from it. Now it is not permissible that any one of these narrations be considered abrogating a previously existing ruling, as we have mentioned.