Ibn Majah

Benefits and Issues:
➊
The meaning of pecking like a crow is to perform prostrations (sujud) quickly and hastily.
This act is contrary to attentiveness and humility (khushu') in prayer (salah).
Therefore, all the pillars (arkan) should be performed with calmness, reciting the complete supplications and remembrances.

➋
While performing prostration (sujud), only the hands should be placed on the ground.
It is not correct to spread the arms on the ground up to the elbows.

➌
To designate a specific place for prayer,
and to prevent others from praying there, is not permissible.
Because the mosque is common property for everyone.
However, if one sees an empty spot and prays there,
and it often happens that he prays in the same place, then it is permissible.
Or, for example, if a person prefers to stand on the right side of the row (saff),
then this is permissible,
as long as a person who is already sitting there is not made to get up.

1113. Commentary:

➊ The aforementioned narration has been declared weak in its chain (isnad) by the researcher of this book, while other scholars have considered it hasan (good) due to supporting evidences. Furthermore, Allamah Al-Atyubi, the commentator of Sunan an-Nasa’i, has declared the first and second parts of this hadith to be sahih (authentic) on the basis of corroborating reports, and both Shaykh al-Albani and the commentator of Sunan an-Nasa’i have discussed this in detail. From this, it is understood that although the chain of this narration is weak, its meaning is correct. For details, see: [سلسلة الأحادیث الصحیحة : 157 ، 156/3 ، رقم : 1168 ، و ذخیرۃ العقبیٰ شرح سنن النسائي : 343-337/13]

➋ "Pecking like a crow" refers to performing a very light prostration (sujud), to the extent that an observer would think the person is pecking. Rather, in prostration, one should recite the tasbih at least three times. It is not correct to recite one tasbih while going down, the second during the prostration, and the third while rising, because in reality, this would mean only one tasbih is recited during the prostration.

➌ "Spreading the arms" means placing the arms on the ground during prostration in such a way that, like a dog or similar animal lying down, the arms are spread out on the ground and the face is also placed on the ground.

➍ "Designating a specific place" means that a person does not pray in any other place, such that if someone else comes and stands in that spot, he would remove him or become upset with him. However, the imam and the muezzin are exempt from this, as they have a necessity.

862. Commentary:
➊ The prohibition of resembling animals in prayer has been mentioned, such as sitting like a camel, and in this hadith, hastily performing the prayer has been likened to pecking like a crow. Or, if a person spreads his forearms on the ground during prostration (sujud), it has been likened to sitting with limbs spread out like a predatory animal.
➋ Similarly, it is also prohibited to reserve a specific place for oneself in the mosque for prayer.
➌ There is no harm in reserving a place for a scholarly gathering (halaqah) after the prayer.