حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي مَعْمَرٌ، وَيُونُسُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَخْبَرَتْهُ قَالَتْ أَقْبَلَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَلَى فَرَسِهِ مِنْ مَسْكَنِهِ بِالسُّنْحِ حَتَّى نَزَلَ، فَدَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ، فَلَمْ يُكَلِّمِ النَّاسَ، حَتَّى نَزَلَ فَدَخَلَ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ فَتَيَمَّمَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُوَ مُسَجًّى بِبُرْدِ حِبَرَةٍ، فَكَشَفَ عَنْ وَجْهِهِ، ثُمَّ أَكَبَّ عَلَيْهِ فَقَبَّلَهُ ثُمَّ بَكَى فَقَالَ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ، لاَ يَجْمَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ مَوْتَتَيْنِ، أَمَّا الْمَوْتَةُ الَّتِي كُتِبَتْ عَلَيْكَ فَقَدْ مُتَّهَا‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ فَأَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ خَرَجَ وَعُمَرُ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ‏.‏ فَقَالَ اجْلِسْ‏.‏ فَأَبَى‏.‏ فَقَالَ اجْلِسْ‏.‏ فَأَبَى، فَتَشَهَّدَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ فَمَالَ إِلَيْهِ النَّاسُ، وَتَرَكُوا عُمَرَ فَقَالَ أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ يَعْبُدُ مُحَمَّدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم فَإِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم قَدْ مَاتَ، وَمَنْ كَانَ يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ حَىٌّ لاَ يَمُوتُ، قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى ‏ {‏وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلاَّ رَسُولٌ‏} ‏ إِلَى ‏{‏الشَّاكِرِينَ‏}‏ وَاللَّهِ لَكَأَنَّ النَّاسَ لَمْ يَكُونُوا يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنْزَلَ الآيَةَ حَتَّى تَلاَهَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ فَتَلَقَّاهَا مِنْهُ النَّاسُ، فَمَا يُسْمَعُ بَشَرٌ إِلاَّ يَتْلُوهَا‏.‏

Abu Bakr came riding his horse from his dwelling place in As-Sunh. He got down from it, entered the Mosque and did not speak with anybody till he came to me and went direct to the Prophet, who was covered with a marked blanket. Abu Bakr uncovered his face. He knelt down and kissed him and then started weeping and said, "My father and my mother be sacrificed for you, O Allah's Prophet! Allah will not combine two deaths on you. You have died the death which was written for you." Narrated Abu Salama from Ibn `Abbas : Abu Bakr came out and `Umar , was addressing the people, and Abu Bakr told him to sit down but `Umar refused. Abu Bakr again told him to sit down but `Umar again refused. Then Abu Bakr recited the Tashah-hud (i.e. none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)) and the people attended to Abu Bakr and left `Umar. Abu Bakr said, "Amma ba'du, whoever amongst you worshipped Muhammad, then Muhammad is dead, but whoever worshipped Allah, Allah is alive and will never die. Allah said: 'Muhammad is no more than an Apostle and indeed (many) Apostles have passed away before him ..(up to the) grateful.' " (3.144) (The narrator added, "By Allah, it was as if the people never knew that Allah had revealed this verse before till Abu Bakr recited it and then whoever heard it, started reciting it.")