Abu Bakr leads the prayers during the final illness

When the Prophet's illness grew heavy he ordered Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer; he led them in seventeen prayers, and once the Prophet came out and sat at Abu Bakr's left and followed his lead ¹.

At nightfall the illness grew heavier and the Prophet could not go out; he asked three times, "have the people prayed?", and fainted whenever he tried to rise after washing ². So he sent word to Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer, and he led those days' seventeen prayers during the Prophet's lifetime ¹. A'isha appealed to the Prophet three or four times to take the leadership from Abu Bakr so that people would not see an ill omen in him, but he refused and said: "You are the companions of Joseph — bid Abu Bakr lead the people" ². On the Saturday or Sunday the Prophet felt some lightness and came out between two men for the noon prayer while Abu Bakr was leading; Abu Bakr moved to step back, but the Prophet signalled him not to and sat at his left, so Abu Bakr followed the Prophet's prayer while the people heard the takbir ².