The manner of the prayer and the takbir in it

Abd al-Rahman bin Ghanm said: Sayyiduna Abu Malik al-Ash'ari gathered the people of his tribe and said: "O people of the Ash'ar tribe, gather together and gather your women and your children as well, so that I may teach you the manner of the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)." They gathered and also gathered their women and children. Then Sayyiduna Abu Malik al-Ash'ari demonstrated to them how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed ablution; he carefully covered all the parts of ablution. Then, when the shadow had declined and the shade had shifted, he stood up and gave the adhan. The men formed the row closest to the imam, then the children formed a row, and behind them the women formed a row, which was behind the children's row. Then Sayyiduna Abu Malik al-Ash'ari led the prayer. He stepped forward, raised both his hands and said the takbir, recited Surah al-Fatihah and a surah along with it, reciting both of them quietly. Then he said the takbir and went into bowing, and said "Subhanallahi wa bihamdihi" three times. Then he said "Sami'allahu liman hamidah" and stood up straight. Then he said the takbir and went into prostration, then he said the takbir and raised his head, then he said the takbir and went into prostration, then he said the takbir and stood up straight. Thus there were six takbirs in his first rak'ah, and when he stood up for the second rak'ah he said the takbir at that time as well. When he had completed the prayer, he turned towards the people and said: "Remember my takbirs, and learn the manner of my bowing and my prostrations, for this is the manner of the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in which he used to lead us in prayer during the day." After this the narrator mentioned the complete hadith; the rest of this narration will come in the section on love, within the discussion of zuhd (asceticism), if Allah wills.
Imam Ahmad recorded it.

In a narration he (Ahmad) recorded, the words are: Then he prayed Zuhr, recited Surah al-Fatihah, and said twenty-two takbirs.

In another narration of his, the words are: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to make the recitation and standing equal in all four rak'ahs, except that he would make the first rak'ah longer than the others so that more people could gather. Whenever he went into prostration and whenever he went into bowing, he would say the takbir, and when he rose after sitting following two rak'ahs, he would also say the takbir at that time. All these narrations were recorded by Imam Ahmad, and Imam al-Tabarani recorded some of them in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir; the chains of all of them contain Shahr bin Hawshab, about whom there is some criticism, and he is thiqah (trustworthy), if Allah wills.

Ibn al-Qasim said: We sat with Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Abza, and he said: "Shall I not show you (by performing it) the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?" The narrator said: We said: "Yes, indeed!" So he stood up and said the takbir, then he recited, then he went into bowing and placed both hands on his knees until every bone settled in its place. Then he rose until every bone settled in its place. Then he went into prostration until every bone settled in its place. Then he raised his head until every bone settled in its place. Then he went into prostration until every bone settled in its place. Then he rose and performed the second rak'ah just as he had done in the first rak'ah. Then he said: "This is how the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was."
Imam Ahmad recorded it; its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: A man asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about something concerning the prayer, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Pass (water) between the fingers of your hands and your feet." The narrator said: This means: perform ablution thoroughly. Among what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to that man was also this: "When you bow, place your palms on your knees until you are at rest (here the narrator is unsure about one word), and when you prostrate, place your forehead firmly on the ground until you feel the firmness of the ground." (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Imam al-Tirmidhi recorded the part of this narration about passing water between the fingers.
Imam Ahmad recorded it; its chain contains Abd al-Rahman bin Abi al-Zinad, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Jabir said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say the takbir every time he bent down and every time he rose.
Imam al-Bazzar recorded it; its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The first one to reduce the takbir was al-Walid bin Uqbah. Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "They have reduced it; may Allah Almighty reduce them! For I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saying the takbir every time he bowed, every time he prostrated and every time he rose."
Imam al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains Thuwayr bin Abi Fakhitah, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) reminded us of the prayer that we used to perform behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); we have not forgotten it (the narrator is unsure; perhaps the words are:) we have not abandoned it. The narrator said: Whenever he bowed and whenever he raised his head from bowing, he said the takbir.
Imam al-Bazzar recorded it; its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

It is reported from Ibn Ishaq that he said: He narrated to me how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), in the middle of the prayer and at its end, would spread his left thigh, sit on his left hip, place his left hand on his left thigh, keep his right foot upright, and place his right hand on his right thigh; then, pointing with his index finger, he would affirm the Oneness of his Lord. Imran bin Abi Anas belongs to Banu Amir bin Lu'ayy, and he is thiqah (trustworthy); he narrated from Abu al-Qasim Miqsam, the freed slave of Abdullah bin al-Harith bin Nawfal, who said: A man from the people of Madinah narrated this hadith to me; he said: I prayed in the mosque of Banu Ghifar. During the prayer, when I sat, I spread out my left leg and sat on it, placed my left hand on my left thigh, kept the front part of my right foot upright, placed my right hand on my right thigh, and then pointed with my finger. (Here the word "foot" is used in the Arabic.) He said: Sayyiduna Khufaf bin Ima' bin Rahadah (may Allah be pleased with him), who had the honour of being a Companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), saw me doing this. When I finished my prayer, he said: "O my son, why did you raise your finger?" I said to him: "I saw people doing this." He said: "You did right. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also used to do this. The polytheists used to say: 'Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) performs magic with this finger,' but they lied, for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did this in order to express the Oneness of his Lord by it."
Imam Ahmad recorded it, and Imam Abu Ya'la recorded something similar; he named the unnamed man as al-Harith, but I have not found anyone who gave his biography, and Imam Ahmad did not name him.

Abu al-Zubayr said: I asked Sayyiduna Jabir about prostration, and he said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordering that we be balanced in prostration, and that no man should spread out his forearms during prostration.
Imam Ahmad recorded it; its chain contains Ibn Lahi'ah, about whom there is some criticism.

Sayyiduna Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered us to be balanced during prostration and not to squat on our heels (with the feet upright).
Imam Ahmad and Imam al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir recorded it; its chain contains Sa'id bin Bashir, about whose use as evidence there is disagreement.

Imam Ahmad said: Imam Abd al-Razzaq narrated to us; he said: The people of Makkah say: Ibn Jurayj took the manner of the prayer from Ata', Ata' took it from Ibn al-Zubayr, Ibn al-Zubayr took it from Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr took it from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). (Imam Abd al-Razzaq said:) I have not seen anyone perform the prayer better than Ibn Jurayj.
Imam Ahmad recorded it; its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Adi bin Amirah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went into prostration, the whiteness of his armpits could be seen. Then, when he gave the salam, he would turn his face to the right until the whiteness of his cheek could be seen; then he would give the salam to the left and turn his face that way until the whiteness of his cheek could be seen from the left side.
Imam Ahmad recorded it, and Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in abridged form; its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Buraydah, when you begin the prayer, recite: 'Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah, la ilaha illa anta, zalamtu nafsi faghfir li, innahu la yaghfiru al-dhunuba illa anta' (Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise is Yours alone; there is no power and no might except with Allah; there is no god but You; I have wronged myself, so forgive me, for none forgives sins except You)." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then recite whatever of the Qur'an you know. Then go into bowing (ruku') and say 'Subhana rabbiya al-azim' (Glory be to my Lord, the Magnificent) three times. When you rise from bowing, say: 'Sami'a Allahu liman hamidah, Allahumma rabbana laka al-hamd, mil'a al-samawati wa mil'a al-ardi wa mil'a ma shi'ta min shay'in ba'd' (Allah hears the one who praises Him. O Allah, our Lord, to You belongs all praise, filling the heavens, filling the earth, and filling whatever else You will thereafter)." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then, when you go into prostration, say 'Subhana rabbiya al-a'la' (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High) three times, and say: 'Sajada wajhi lilladhi khalaqahu fashaqqa sam'ahu wa basarahu, tabaraka Allahu ahsanu al-khaliqin' (My face prostrates before the One who created it and gave it hearing and sight; blessed is Allah, the best of creators). When you raise your head from prostration, say: 'Rabbi ighfir li warhamni wahdini warzuqni, inni lima anzalta ilayya min khayrin faqir' (My Lord, forgive me, have mercy on me, keep me firm on guidance and provide for me; I am in need of whatever good You send down to me). When you sit during the prayer, do not abandon bearing witness that there is no god but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah, and sending blessings upon me and upon all the prophets of Allah, and sending peace upon all the righteous servants of Allah."
Imam al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Abbad bin Ahmad al-Arzami, whom Imam al-Daraqutni (may Allah have mercy on him) declared da'if (weak), and its chain contains a narrator, Jabir al-Ju'fi, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal used to stay with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and then leave, and when he arrived he would lead his people in prayer. A man from Banu Salimah named Sulaym used to pray behind Sayyiduna Mu'adh. Once Sayyiduna Mu'adh was late in coming to them, so Sulaym prayed alone and left. When Sayyiduna Mu'adh came, he was told that Sulaym had prayed alone and left. Sayyiduna Mu'adh told the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about this. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent for Sulaym and asked him about it. He said: "I am a man who works all day until evening comes, and in the evening I am drowsy. Sayyiduna Mu'adh comes to us at that time, and that day Sayyiduna Mu'adh was late in coming to us. When he was delayed, I prayed and went back home." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "When you prayed, what did you do?" He replied: "I recited Surah al-Fatihah and another surah, then I sat, recited the tashahhud, asked for Paradise and sought refuge from Hell, sent blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and then finished the prayer. I cannot make beautiful supplications like you and like Sayyiduna Mu'adh." The narrator says: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) laughed and said: "Mu'adh and I also supplicate for this alone: that we may enter Paradise and be saved from Hell." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent word to Sayyiduna Mu'adh: "Do not be one who puts people to trial, putting the people to trial. Go back to them and lead them in prayer before they go to sleep." Then Sulaym said: "O Mu'adh, tomorrow, when we meet the enemy, you will see how you fare and how I fare." The narrator says: On the day of the Battle of Uhud, Sayyiduna Sulaym came with his sword drawn. He said: "O Mu'adh, step forward!" But Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) did not step forward. Sulaym stepped forward and fought until he was martyred. Whenever he was mentioned in the presence of Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) would say: "Sulaym was true to Allah, and Mu'adh was false." (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Sayyiduna Jabir has a hadith recorded in the Sahih, but it is other than this one.
Imam al-Bazzar recorded it; its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih, except for the narrator Mu'adh bin Abdullah bin Habib, who is thiqah (trustworthy), and no criticism has been made of him.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abi Awfa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would lead us in the Zuhr prayer when the sun had passed its zenith; if you had put his two sides in the sand, they would have been roasted. At that time he would make the first rak'ah long, remaining standing and reciting for as long as he could hear the sound of people's footsteps. Then he would go into bowing. Then he would stand for the second rak'ah and make the second rak'ah shorter than the first. Then he would make the third rak'ah shorter than the second, and the fourth rak'ah shorter than the third. He would pray Asr while the sun was bright and clear, such that a person could travel two or three farsakhs in that time. He would make the first rak'ah of Asr long and the second rak'ah shorter than the first. He would pray Maghrib at the time when someone might say: "Has the sun set or not?" He would make the first rak'ah of Maghrib long, the second rak'ah shorter than the first, and the third rak'ah shorter than the second. He would pray Isha somewhat late.
Al-Bazzar and Imam al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir recorded it, except that he used the words: "If you had put a side." Its chain contains a narrator, Tarafah al-Hadrami; al-Azdi says: His hadith is not sound. The chain of this narration also contains a narrator about whom it has been said that he is majhul (unknown).

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reports this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Shall I not guide you to that by which Allah Almighty wipes out sins and increases good deeds?" The people said: "Yes, indeed!" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Performing ablution thoroughly at times when it is difficult for oneself, taking many steps walking to the mosques, and waiting for one prayer after another prayer. The angels say: 'O Allah, forgive him; O Allah, have mercy on him.'" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you stand for prayer, straighten your rows, set them right and fill the gaps, for I see you behind my back as well. When the imam says 'Allahu akbar', you also say 'Allahu akbar'; when he bows, you also bow; and when he says 'Sami'a Allahu liman hamidah' (Allah hears the one who praises Him), you say 'Allahumma rabbana laka al-hamd' (O Allah, our Lord, to You belongs all praise)." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also said: "The best row of the men is the first one and the least good is the last one, and the best row of the women is the last one and the least good is the first one." (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Imam Ibn Majah recorded part of this narration.
Imam al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Aqil, about whom there is criticism. Imam Ahmad also recorded it as a complete narration, and Imam Abu Ya'la recorded it in abridged form; this narration has already passed.

Sayyiduna Wa'il bin Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I was present with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when a vessel containing some water was brought to him. He poured it over his right hand and washed it three times. Then he put his right hand into the vessel and with it washed his left hand three times. Then he put his right hand into the vessel, took a handful of water with it, and rinsed his mouth and put water into his nose three times, and he cleaned his nose three times. Then he put both his hands into the vessel, raised them to his face and washed his face three times. He also washed the inner part of his ears and put two fingers into the inner part. He wiped over the outer part of his neck and the underside of his beard three times. Then he put his right hand into the vessel and with it washed his right forearm until he went beyond the elbow; he did this three times. Then with his right hand he washed his left forearm beyond the elbow three times. Then he wiped over his head three times, wiped over the outer part of his ears three times, and wiped over his neck. The narrator says: I think he also mentioned that he wiped over the outer part of his beard. Then he washed his right foot with his right hand three times; he opened up his toes (and washed them well). Then he raised the water until he took it above the ankles, then raised it further and took it up to the shin. Then he did the same with the left leg. Then he took a handful of water, filled his hand with it, and poured it over his head until the water ran down from his sides. He said: "This is the complete ablution." The narrator says: I did not see him dry his body with a cloth. Then he went to the mosque and entered the mihrab. The narrator says: that is, the place where the mihrab is now. The people formed a row behind him, and they formed rows on his right and on his left. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) raised both his hands until he brought them level with his earlobes. Then he placed his right hand over his left hand near his chest and began the recitation. He began reciting aloud with al-Hamd, and when he finished reciting Surah al-Fatihah he said "Amin", so that those behind him heard it. Then he recited another surah. Then he raised both hands while saying the takbir until he brought them up to his earlobes. Then he went into bowing, placed both his hands on his knees and kept his fingers spread apart. He remained in bowing until every limb of his became level, and his back was such that if a cup of water had been placed on it, the water would not have spilled. Then he raised his head with humility and said "Sami'a Allahu liman hamidah" (Allah hears the one who praises Him). Then he raised both his hands until he brought them up to his earlobes. Then he bent down to go into prostration while saying the takbir; he raised both his hands until he brought them up to his earlobes. Then he set his forehead firmly on the ground, so much so that I saw his nose in the sand. He curved his forearms like a bow and placed his head as well. He spread his left thigh and kept his right foot upright, just as the toes are kept upright. He did not remain long in prostration. Then he raised his head and, saying the takbir, raised both his hands and brought them up to his earlobes. He sat briefly and placed his right palm on his knee and on part of his thigh, and he made a ring with his finger. Then he bent down to go into prostration and prostrated in the same way. Then he raised his head saying the takbir and brought both hands up to his earlobes, until he stood upright in the standing position and every bone returned to its place. He prayed four rak'ahs in which he did just as he had done in the first rak'ah. Then he sat for the tashahhud in the same way. Then he gave the salam to the right until the whiteness of his left cheek could be seen, then he gave the salam to the left until the whiteness of his right cheek could be seen. (Allamah al-Haythami says:) Part of it is recorded in the Sahih and other books.
Imam al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Muhammad bin Hujr. Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) says: There is some question about him. Imam al-Dhahabi says: Munkar (denounced) narrations are reported from him.

Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was in his prayer, he would raise both his hands level with his ears. When he had said the takbir, he would release them, and then he would remain silent. Sometimes I saw him placing his right hand over his left hand. When he finished reciting Surah al-Fatihah he would remain silent, and when he finished the surah he would be silent for a little while. Then he would raise both his hands level with his ears, then say the takbir and go into bowing. We would not go into bowing until we saw him in the bowing position. Then he would stand straight up from his bowing until every limb settled in its place. Then he would raise both his hands level with his ears, then say the takbir and go down into prostration. He would place his forehead and nose firmly on the ground. Then he would rise as if he were an arrow, not supporting himself with his hands. When he sat at the end of the prayer, he would spread his left thigh and place his right hand on his right thigh, and he would point with his finger when he supplicated. When he had given the salam, he would stand up quickly.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir; its chain contains a narrator, al-Khasib bin Jahdar, who is kadhdhab (a liar).

Sayyiduna Wa'il bin Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went into bowing, he would keep his fingers spread apart, and when he went into prostration, he would keep his fingers together.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its chain is hasan (good).

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed, he would keep his fingers spread apart.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains a narrator, Ahmad bin al-Walid, who is da'if (weak). Ibn Hibban mentioned him in the book al-Thiqat.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I have not seen anyone whose prayer resembled the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) more than the son of Sayyidah Umm Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with her). Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) meant Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him).
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its chain is hasan (good).

Sayyiduna Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would command us that, when we are praying and raise our heads from prostration, we should sit on the ground with composure, and we should not sit poised on the ends of our feet.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in full in this way in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its chain is hasan (good). Al-Azdi and Ibn Hazm have spoken about some of its narrators in a way that does not amount to a disparagement.

Sayyiduna Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade sitting in the iq'a' manner during prayer.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir; its chain contains a narrator, Sallam bin Abi Khubzah, who is matruk (abandoned).

Abd al-Rahman bin Yazid narrates: I observed the prayer of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), and I saw that he would rise and not sit. The narrator says: That is, after the first rak'ah and after the third rak'ah he would rise on the front part of his feet.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.