Once I went (from Medina) towards (Al-Ghaba) before the first Adhan of the Fajr Prayer. The she-camels of Allah's Apostle used to graze at a place called Dhi-Qarad. A slave of Abdur-Rahman bin Auf met me (on the way) and said, ''The she-camels of Allah's Apostle had been taken away by force.'' I asked, ''Who had taken them?'' He replied ''(The people of) Ghatafan.'' I made three loud cries (to the people of Medina) saying, ''O Sabahah!'' I made the people between the two mountains of Medina hear me. Then I rushed onward and caught up with the robbers while they were watering the camels. I started throwing arrows at them as I was a good archer and I was saying, ''I am the son of Al-Akwa', and today will perish the wicked people.'' I kept on saying like that till I restored the she-camels (of the Prophet), I also snatched thirty Burda (i.e. garments) from them. Then the Prophet and the other people came there, and I said, ''O Allah's Prophet! I have stopped the people (of Ghatafan) from taking water and they are thirsty now. So send (some people) after them now.'' On that the Prophet said, ''O the son of Al-Akwa'! You have over-powered them, so forgive them.'' Then we all came back and Allah's Apostle seated me behind him on his she-camel till we entered Medina.

''We were with Aisha discussing the regularity of offering the prayer and dignifying it. She said, When Allah's Apostle fell sick with the fatal illness and when the time of prayer became due and Adhan was pronounced, he said, Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer.' He was told that Abu Bakr was a soft-hearted man and would not be able to lead the prayer in his place. The Prophet gave the same order again but he was given the same reply. He gave the order for the third time and said, You (women) are the companions of Joseph. Tell Abu Bakr to lead the prayer.' So Abu Bakr came out to lead the prayer. In the meantime the condition of the Prophet improved a bit and he came out with the help of two men one on each side. As if I was observing his legs dragging on the ground owing to the disease. Abu Bakr wanted to retreat but the Prophet beckoned him to remain at his place and the Prophet was brought till he sat beside Abu Bakr.'' Al-A'mash was asked, ''Was the Prophet praying and Abu Bakr following him, and were the people following Abu Bakr in that prayer?'' Al-A'mash replied in the affirmative with a nod of his head. Abu Muawiya said, ''The Prophet was sitting on the left side of Abu Bakr who was praying while standing.''

There was some quarrel (sighting) among Bani Amr, and when this news reached the Prophet, he offered the Zuhr prayer and went to establish peace among them. In the meantime the time of Asr prayer was due, Bilal pronounced the Adhan and then the Iqama for the prayer and requested Abu Bakr (to lead the prayer) and Abu Bakr went forward. The Prophet arrived while Abu Bakr was still praying. He entered the rows of praying people till he stood behind Abu Bakr in the (first) row. The people started clapping, and it was the habit of Abu Bakr that whenever he stood for prayer, he never glanced side-ways till he had finished it, but when Abu Bakr observed that the clapping was not coming to an end, he looked and saw the Prophet standing behind him. The Prophet beckoned him to carry on by waving his hand. Abu Bakr stood there for a while, thanking Allah for the saying of the Prophet and then he retreated, taking his steps backwards. When the Prophet saw that, he went ahead and led the people in prayer. When he finished the prayer, he said, ''O Abu Bakr! What prevented you from carrying on with the prayer after I beckoned you to do so?'' Abu Bakr replied, ''It does not befit the son of Abi Quhafa to lead the Prophet in prayer.'' Then the Prophet said to the people, ''If some problem arises during prayers, then the men should say, Subhan Allah!; and the women should clap.'' (See Hadith No. 652, Vol. 1)

There was a dispute amongst the people of the tribe of Bani Amr bin Auf. The Prophet went to them along with some of his companions in order to make peace between them. The time for the prayer became due but the Prophet did not turn up; Bilal pronounced the Adhan (i.e. call) for the prayer but the Prophet did not turn up, so Bilal went to Abu Bakr and said, ''The time for the prayer is due and the Prophet i detained, would you lead the people in the prayer?'' Abu Bakr replied, ''Yes, you wish.'' So, Bilal pronounced the Iqama of the prayer and Abu Bakr went ahead (to lead the prayer), but the Prophet came walking among the rows till he joined the first row. The people started clapping and they clapped too much, and Abu Bakr used not to look hither and thither in the prayer, but he turned round and saw the Prophet standing behind him. The Prophet beckoned him with his hand to keep on praying where he was. Abu Bakr raised his hand and praised Allah and then retreated till he came in the (first) row, and the Prophet went ahead and lead the people in the prayer. When the Prophet finished the prayer, he turned towards the people and said, ''O people! When something happens to you during the prayer, you start clapping. Really clapping is (permissible) for women only. If something happens to one of you in his prayer, he should say: Subhan Allah', (Glorified be Allah), for whoever hears him (saying so) will direct his attention towards him. O Abu Bakr! What prevented you from leading the people in the prayer when I beckoned to you (to continue)?'' Abu Bakr replied, ''It did not befit the son of Abu Quhafa to lead the prayer in front of the Prophet.

We were at a place which was a thoroughfare for the people, and the caravans used to pass by us and we would ask them, ''What is wrong with the people? What is wrong with the people? Who is that man?. They would say, ''That man claims that Allah has sent him (as an Apostle), that he has been divinely inspired, that Allah has revealed to him such-and-such.'' I used to memorize that (Divine) Talk, and feel as if it was inculcated in my chest (i.e. mind) And the Arabs (other than Quraish) delayed their conversion to Islam till the Conquest (of Mecca). They used to say.'' ''Leave him (i.e. Muhammad) and his people Quraish: if he overpowers them then he is a true Prophet. So, when Mecca was conquered, then every tribe rushed to embrace Islam, and my father hurried to embrace Islam before (the other members of) my tribe. When my father returned (from the Prophet) to his tribe, he said, ''By Allah, I have come to you from the Prophet for sure!'' The Prophet afterwards said to them, Offer such-and-such prayer at such-and-such time, and when the time for the prayer becomes due, then one of you should pronounce the Adhan (for the prayer), and let the one amongst you who knows Qur'an most should, lead the prayer.'' So they looked for such a person and found none who knew more Qur'an than I because of the Quranic material which I used to learn from the caravans. They therefore made me their Imam ((to lead the prayer) and at that time I was a boy of six or seven years, wearing a Burda (i.e. a black square garment) proved to be very short for me (and my body became partly naked). A lady from the tribe said, ''Won't you cover the anus of your reciter for us?'' So they bought (a piece of cloth) and made a shirt for me. I had never been so happy with anything before as I was with that shirt.

The group of people whom Umar had selected as candidates for the Caliphate gathered and consulted each other. Abdur-Rahman said to them, ''I am not going to compete with you in this matter, but if you wish, I would select for you a caliph from among you.'' So all of them agreed to let Abdur-Rahman decide the case. So when the candidates placed the case in the hands of Abdur-Rahman, the people went towards him and nobody followed the rest of the group nor obeyed any after him. So the people followed Abdur-Rahman and consulted him all those nights till there came the night we gave the oath of allegiance to Uthman. Al-Miswar (bin Makhrama) added: Abdur-Rahman called on me after a portion of the night had passed and knocked on my door till I got up, and he said to me, ''I see you have been sleeping! By Allah, during the last three nights I have not slept enough. Go and call Az-Zubair and Sa'd.' So I called them for him and he consulted them and then called me saying, Call Ali for me.'' I called Ali and he held a private talk with him till very late at night, and then Al, got up to leave having had much hope (to be chosen as a Caliph) but Abdur-Rahman was afraid of something concerning Ali. Abdur-Rahman then said to me, ''Call Uthman for me.'' I called him and he kept on speaking to him privately till the Mu'adhdhin put an end to their talk by announcing the Adhan for the Fajr prayer. When the people finished their morning prayer and that (six men) group gathered near the pulpit, Abdur-Rahman sent for all the Muhajirin (emigrants) and the Ansar present there and sent for the army chief who had performed the Hajj with Umar that year. When all of them had gathered, Abdur-Rahman said, ''None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,'' and added, ''Now then, O Ali, I have looked at the people's tendencies and noticed that they do not consider anybody equal to Uthman, so you should not incur blame (by disagreeing).'' Then Abdur-Rahman said (to Uthman), ''I gave the oath of allegiance to you on condition that you will follow Allah's Laws and the traditions of Allah's Apostle and the traditions of the two Caliphs after him.'' So Abdur-Rahman gave the oath of allegiance to him, and so did the people including the Muhajirin (emigrants) and the Ansar and the chiefs of the army staff and all the Muslims.