Prayer Leadership

"Narrated Sahl bin Sa`d:\n\nThe Prophet (ﷺ) went out to affect a reconciliation between the tribes of Bani `Amr bin `Auf and the time of the prayer became due; Bilal went to Abu Bakr and said, \"The Prophet (ﷺ) is detained. Will you lead the people in the prayer?\" Abu Bakr replied, \"Yes, if you wish.\" So Bilal pronounced the Iqama and Abu Bakr led the prayer. In the meantime the Prophet (ﷺ) came crossing the rows (of the praying people) till he stood in the first row and the people started clapping. Abu Bakr never looked hither and thither during the prayer but when the people clapped too much, he looked back and saw the Prophet (ﷺ) in the (first) row. The Prophet (ﷺ) waved him to remain at his place, but Abu Bakr raised both his hands and sent praises to Allah and then retreated and the Prophet (ﷺ) went forward and led the prayer. (See Hadith No. 295 & 296)\n\nNarrated Anas bin Malik:\n\nWhile Abu Bakr was leading the people in the morning prayer on a Monday, the Prophet (ﷺ) came towards them suddenly having lifted the curtain of 'Aisha's house, and looked at them as they were standing in rows and smiled. Abu Bakr tried to come back thinking that Allah's Apostle wanted to come out for the prayer. The attention of the Muslims was diverted from the prayer because they were delighted to see the Prophet. The Prophet (ﷺ) waved his hand to them to complete their prayer, then he went back into the room and let down the curtain. The Prophet expired on that very day.\n\nNarrated Abu Huraira:\n\nAllah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, \"A woman called her son while he was in his hermitage and said, 'O Juraij' He said, 'O Allah, my mother (is calling me) and (I am offering) my prayer (what shall I do)?' She again said, 'O Juraij!' He said again, 'O Allah ! My mother (is calling me) and (I am offering) my prayer (what shall I do)?' She again said, 'O Juraij' He again said, 'O Allah! My mother (is calling me) and (I am offering) my prayer. (What shall I do?)' She said, 'O Allah! Do not let Juraij die till he sees the faces of prostitutes.' A shepherdess used to come by his hermitage for grazing her sheep and she gave birth to a child. She was asked whose child that was, and she replied that it was from Juraij and that he had come out from his hermitage. Juraij said, 'Where is that woman who claims that her child is from me?' (When she was brought to him along with the child), Juraij asked the child, 'O Babus, who is your father?' The child replied, 'The shepherd.' \" (See Hadith No 662. Vol 3).\n\nNarrated `Aisha:\n\nOnce the sun eclipsed and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stood up for the prayer and recited a very long Sura and when bowed for a long while and then raised his head and started reciting another Sura. Then he bowed, and after finishing, he prostrated and did the same in the second rak`a and then said, \"These (lunar and solar eclipses) are two of the signs of Allah and if you see them, pray till the eclipse is over. No doubt, while standing at this place I saw everything promised to me by Allah and I saw (Paradise) and I wanted to pluck a bunch (of grapes) therefrom, at the time when you saw me stepping forward. No doubt, I saw Hell with its different parts destroying each other when you saw me retreating and in it I saw `Amr bin Luhai who started the tradition of freeing animals (set them free) in the name of idols.\"\n\nNarrated Ibn `Umar:\n\nThe Prophet (ﷺ) saw some sputum on the wall facing the Qibla of the mosque and became furious with the people of the mosque and said, \"During the prayer, Allah is in front of everyone of you and so he should not spit (or said, 'He should not expectorate').\" Then he got down and scratched the sputum with his hand. Ibn `Umar said (after narrating), \"If anyone of you has to spit during the prayer, he should spit to his left.\"\n\nNarrated Anas:\n\nThe Prophet (ﷺ) said, \"Whenever anyone of you is in prayer, he is speaking in private to his Lord and so he should neither spit in front of him nor on his right side but to his left side under his left foot.\"\n\nNarrated Sahl bin Sa`d:\n\nThe people used to offer the prayer with the Prophet (ﷺ) with their waist-sheets tied round their necks because of the shortness of the sheets and the women were ordered not to lift their heads till the men had sat straight.\n\nNarrated Sahl bin Sa`d:\n\nThe news about the differences amongst the people of Bani `Amr bin `Auf at Quba reached Allah's Apostle and so he went to them along with some of his companions to affect a reconciliation. Allah's Apostle was delayed there and the time for the prayer became due. Bilal came to Abu Bakr! and said, \"O Abu Bakr! Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) is detained (there) and the time for the prayer is due. Will you lead the people in prayer?\" Abu Bakr replied, \"Yes, if you wish.\" So Bilal pronounced the Iqama and Abu Bakr went forward and the people said Takbir. In the meantime, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came piercing through the rows till he stood in the (first) row and the people started clapping. Abu Bakr, would never look hither and thither during the prayer but when the people clapped much he looked back and saw Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) beckoned him to carry on. Abu Bakr raised both his hands, praised Allah and retreated till he stood in the row and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went forward and led the people in the prayer. When he had finished the prayer, he addressed the people and said, \"O people! Why did you start clapping when something happened to you in the prayer? Clapping is for women. Whenever one is confronted with something unusual in the prayer one should say, 'Sub Han Allah'.\" Then the Prophet loo"