A man who falls short in his prayer, and what he should do

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The prayer of a man is not valid if his back is not straight in bowing and prostration."

Sayyiduna Ali bin Shayban (may Allah be pleased with him) says: We came as a delegation to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), pledged allegiance at his hand and prayed with him. During the prayer he (peace and blessings be upon him) looked out of the corner of his eye at a man whose back was not straight in bowing and prostration. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) had completed the prayer, he said: "O assembly of Muslims! There is no prayer for a person whose back is not straight in bowing and prostration."

Ali bin Yahya bin Khallad narrates from his father, from his uncle, who had fought at Badr, that he said: Once we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) when a man came and prayed very hastily, not performing the bowing and prostration properly. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was watching him closely, while we did not notice it. When he had prayed, he came and greeted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with salam. He (peace and blessings be upon him) returned his greeting and said: "Pray again, for you have not prayed." He did this three times, and each time the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Pray again, for you have not prayed." When he came the fourth time, he said: "O Messenger of Allah! Teach me the prayer, for by Allah, I have tried my utmost." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you stand for prayer, face the qiblah, then say the takbir, then recite, then bow and bow with calmness, then rise from bowing and stand calmly, then prostrate and prostrate with calmness, then sit and sit calmly, and then stand up. If you do this, your prayer is complete, and if you fall short in any of these acts, know that this shortfall is found in your prayer."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: A man entered the mosque and prayed, while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting in a corner of the mosque. He came and greeted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with salam. He returned his greeting and said: "Go and pray, for you have not yet prayed." He went, came back and greeted him again, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Go, for you have not yet prayed." Then, the third time, the man said: "O Messenger of Allah! Teach me the prayer." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you get up for prayer, perform ablution (wudu) well, then face the qiblah and say the takbir, then recite whatever of the Qur'an is possible for you. Then bow with calmness, then stand up with full balance, then prostrate with calmness, then stand up straight" or he said: "then sit up straight. Then do these acts throughout your whole prayer."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The worst thief is the one who steals from his prayer." The people asked: "O Messenger of Allah! How can one steal from the prayer?" He said: "He does not perform its bowing and prostration properly."

Thabit says: Once Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) described to us the manner of prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). First he stood up straight for prayer, then he bowed, then he raised his head from bowing, then he stood up straight, and he remained standing so long that some of us thought he had forgotten. Then Sayyiduna Anas prostrated, then sat up straight, and remained sitting so long that some of us thought he had forgotten.

Salim al-Barrad says: We went to the house of Sayyiduna Abu Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: Teach us the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He stood up to pray in front of us; then he bowed, placing his palms on his knees and his fingers below the knees. He kept his elbows away from his body in such a way that every limb of his body became straight. Then he raised his head and said: 'Sami' Allahu liman hamidah' (Allah hears the one who praises Him). Then he stood in such a way that every limb of his body became balanced. Then he prostrated and did the same in prostration. Then he prayed two rak'ahs. When he had finished, he said: We have seen the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) praying like this.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: A man keeps praying for sixty years, yet his prayer is not accepted, perhaps because sometimes he performs the bowing properly but not the prostration, and sometimes he performs the prostration properly but not the bowing.

Muhammad bin Amr says: I saw Sayyiduna Abu Humayd al-Sa'idi (may Allah be pleased with him) with ten of the Companions. Sayyiduna Abu Humayd said: Shall I not describe to you the manner of prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)? They said: Certainly, describe it. He said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his head from bowing, he would remain standing until every bone settled in its place, then he would bend down going into prostration and say the takbir.

Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) bowed, he kept his blessed head neither lower than his back nor higher, but in a state between the two. When he raised his head from bowing, he would not go into prostration until he stood straight with balance. And when he raised his head after a prostration, he would not perform the second prostration until he had sat calmly. He used to recite the tahiyyah after every two rak'ahs.

Zayd bin Wahb says: Once Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) entered the mosque and saw a man praying towards the gates of Kindah, but he was not performing the bowing and prostration properly. When he had completed his prayer, Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: For how long have you been praying like this? He said: For forty years. Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: You have not prayed for forty years. If you had died praying like this, you would have left this world upon a nature (fitrah) other than the one upon which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was created. Then Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) began to teach him the prayer, and he said: A man may make his prayer light, but he should not fall short in the bowing and prostration.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The worst thief is the one who steals from his prayer." The people asked: "O Messenger of Allah! How can one steal from the prayer?" He said: "He does not perform its bowing and prostration properly."

Himalah bin Abd al-Rahman says: Sayyiduna Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a man who was not performing the bowing and prostration properly. He took hold of his hand, and the man became frightened. Sayyiduna Ubadah said: Do not imitate this man or those like him. And remember that there is no prayer without Surah al-Fatihah.

Abu Ja'far says that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw a man prostrating as though he were striking his head on the ground. On seeing him, he said: "If this man dies upon this prayer, he will not die upon my religion."

Abu Yahya says: Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a woman praying as though a hen were pecking. On seeing her, he said: You have lied.

Al-Hasan says: Sa'id bin al-Musayyib saw a man who was not performing the bowing and prostration fully. He threw pebbles at him and said: You have ruined your prayer.

Al-A'mash says: I saw Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) praying beside the Ka'bah in Makkah, and I did not approach him. He was praying with the utmost composure; when he raised his head from bowing, he would stand completely straight, until even the veins of his belly became straight.

Ibn Abi Layla says: A man entered the mosque and prayed in such a way that he did not perform his bowing and prostration properly. I mentioned this to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Yazid (may Allah be pleased with him), and he said: Despite its flaws, it is better than abandoning it.

Ali bin Zayd says: Sayyiduna al-Miswar bin Makhramah (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a man who was not performing his bowing and prostration properly. He said to him: Pray again. The man refused to pray again, but he did not leave him until he had prayed again.

Musa bin Muslim says: Tawus was sitting when a man was praying and not performing his bowing and prostration properly. A man said: This man has no prayer. Tawus said: Leave him; as much of the prayer as he has performed, its reward has been written in his record of deeds.

Yahya bin Ubayd says: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Yazid (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about a man who does not perform the bowing and prostration properly in prayer, and he said: It is better than not praying at all.

Abu Qays says: Masruq saw a man who was praying, and in prostration he had raised his feet. Masruq said: His prayer is not complete.

Imran says: Abu Mijlaz saw a man who, while in prostration, had raised one of his feet. He said: Allah made them six, and you have made them five!

Sayyiduna Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him) says: Prayer is a measure. Whoever gives it in full, Allah Almighty will also give him his full reward. And you know what Allah Almighty has said about the measure: "Woe to those who give short measure." [Al-Mutaffifin: 1]

A man says: Once Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by a man who was not performing his bowing and prostration properly. This was mentioned to Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda, and he said: It is better than not praying at all.

Qays says: Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a man who was not performing his bowing and prostration properly. He said: If this man were to die in this state, he would die outside the religion of Isa ibn Maryam.