Mu'jam Kabir Tabarani 4505 — from his father, from his uncle, who was

Ali bin Yahya bin Khallad (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from his father, from his uncle, who was a Companion who had fought at Badr; he said: We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the mosque when a man came in and prayed two rak'ahs, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was watching him. Then he came and greeted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with salam; he (peace and blessings be upon him) returned his greeting, then said: "Go back and pray again, for you have not prayed." The narrator said: So he went back and prayed, then came and greeted him with salam; he (peace and blessings be upon him) returned the greeting, then said: "Go back and pray again, for you have not prayed." He repeated this a third or a fourth time as well, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) kept saying the same thing he had said first. The man said: O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you! By the One who sent down the Book upon you, I have tried and striven hard, so teach me and show me. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you want to pray, perform ablution well, then face the qiblah and say Allahu Akbar, then recite, then bow until you are at rest in bowing, then raise your head until you are standing straight, then prostrate until you are at rest in prostration, then raise your head until you are at rest in sitting, then prostrate until you are at rest in prostration, then rise. If you complete your prayer in this way, you have completed it, and whatever you fall short of in this, that shortfall is only from yourself."