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.")
The Passing of the Prophet & Abu Bakr's Leadership
This narration from Sahih al-Bukhari (1241, 1242) describes the profound moment of Prophet Muhammad's death and Abu Bakr's immediate response. When Abu Bakr arrived from As-Sunh, he went directly to the Prophet without speaking to anyone, demonstrating his singular focus. His words "Allah will not combine two deaths on you" refer to the Quranic principle that no soul bears another's burden.
Theological Clarification & Community Stability
Abu Bakr's declaration "whoever worshipped Muhammad, then Muhammad is dead, but whoever worshipped Allah, Allah is alive and will never die" contains essential Islamic theology. This statement immediately corrected any potential confusion about the Prophet's mortality and reaffirmed tawhid (divine unity).
His recitation of Quran 3:144 served as a powerful reminder that Muhammad was a mortal messenger in a long line of prophets, thus preventing the community from falling into the error of deifying him as Christians did with Jesus.
Political Wisdom & Succession
The interaction between Abu Bakr and Umar demonstrates the critical need for clear leadership during crises. Umar's initial refusal to accept the Prophet's death threatened community stability, but Abu Bakr's calm authority and Quranic recitation unified the Muslims.
This event established the precedent for the caliphate and showed how religious knowledge combined with political wisdom preserves community unity after a prophet's death.