Hadith No: 2
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani - Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari
Ahkam - Chapter on Appointing Freedmen as Judges and Employing Them
Volume: (13) - Page Number: (147)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- His statement:
(Salim was the freedman of Abu Hudhayfa), had been previously introduced in the context of suckling.
- His statement:
(he would lead the prayers for the first Emigrants),
meaning those who migrated to Medina before others.- His statement:
(among them were Abu Bakr, Umar, and Abu Salama)... It has been mentioned earlier in the Book of Prayer, in the chapters on Imamate, from the narration of Ubaydullah ibn Umar from Nafi,
from Ibn Umar, that when the first Emigrants, a group, arrived at a place near Quba before the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) arrived, Salim, the freedman of Abu Hudhayfa, would lead them in prayer, and he was one of the most knowledgeable of them in the Qur'an. This clarifies the reason for his being chosen to lead in prayer.
- .... The response to the question regarding the inclusion of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq among them is that he only migrated in the company of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny), and it was mentioned in Ibn Umar's narration that this was before the arrival of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny). Al-Bayhaqi's explanation can be noted, namely, that
it is possible that Salim continued to lead them in prayer even after the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) settled in Medina and stayed in the house of Abu Ayyub, before his mosque was built there. It could be said that Abu Bakr would pray behind him whenever he came to Quba.