Fath al-Rabbani

Muhammad bin Ata says: Sayyiduna Abu Humayd Sa’idi (may Allah be pleased with him) was among the ten companions of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and among them was Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah bin Rabi’i (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Abu Humayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I know the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) better than all of you. But they said: You are neither older in companionship than us nor do you follow him more than we do. So he said: Why not, (what you say is correct). In any case, they said: Alright, describe it. Sayyiduna Abu Humayd Sa’idi (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When he (peace and blessings be upon him) would stand, he would stand straight and raise his hands until he made them level with his shoulders. Then, when he intended to bow (ruku’), he would raise his hands until they were level with his shoulders, then say Allahu Akbar and bow, and in bowing he would be even, neither lowering his head too much nor raising it too high, and he would place his hands on his knees. Then, saying “Sami’ Allahu liman hamidah,” he would rise and stand straight until every bone returned to its place. Then he would go down for prostration (sajdah) saying Allahu Akbar, and he would keep his arms away from his stomach and spread them, and turn the toes of his feet (towards the qiblah). Then (after rising from prostration) he would fold his left foot and sit on it and be straight until every bone settled in its place. Then he would go down for prostration saying Allahu Akbar, then fold his foot and sit on it until every limb returned to its place. Then when he stood up, he would do the same in the second rak’ah. When, after two rak’ahs, he stood up, he would say Allahu Akbar and raise his hands and make them level with his shoulders as he did at the beginning of the prayer. Then he would do the same until, when it was the last rak’ah in which the prayer ended, he would take out his left foot (from underneath to the right side) and sit in the posture of tawarruk on his buttocks, then he would say the salam.