Al-Muntaqa Ibn al-Jarud

Sayyiduna Abu Humayd Sa’idi (may Allah be pleased with him) said in the presence of ten Companions, including Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him): I know the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) better than all of you. They said: How is that? By Allah! Neither did you follow the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) more than us, nor did you keep his company more than us. Sayyiduna Abu Humayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Alright! They said: Well then, present it. Sayyiduna Abu Humayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stood for prayer, he would raise his hands to the level of his shoulders and say the takbir, until every bone would settle in its place with moderation. Then he would recite, then say the takbir and raise his hands to the level of his shoulders, until every bone returned to its joint. Then he would bow (ruku’), placing his palms on his knees and keeping his back straight, neither lowering his head too much nor raising it high. Then he would raise his head and say «سمع الله لمن حمده», then raise his hands to the level of his shoulders and stand up straight. Abu ‘Asim (may Allah have mercy on him) says: I think he said: until every bone returned to its place. Then he would say «الله اكبر» and bend towards the ground, prostrating with his hands away from his sides. Then he would raise his head and fold his left foot and sit on it. When he prostrated, he would keep the toes of both feet spread. Then he would prostrate again, then say «الله اكبر» and raise his head and fold his left foot and sit upright on it for as long as it took for every bone to return to its place. Then he would do the same in the second rak’ah. Then, when he stood up after two rak’ahs, he would raise both hands to the level of his shoulders just as he did at the beginning of the prayer. Then he would perform the rest of the prayer in the same way, until when he was in the final sitting, in which the salam is said, he would take out his left foot (from under his buttocks to the right side) and sit on his left hip. All of them said: You have spoken the truth; the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray like this.