Sunan ad-Darimi

Sayyiduna Abu Humayd Sa’idi (may Allah be pleased with him) said, who was with ten companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), among whom was Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) as well. Sayyiduna Abu Humayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I have the most knowledge among you all about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). They said: Why is that? Are you more of a follower of him than us, or did you stay with him more than us? He said: Yes, that is so. They said: Then present it. Sayyiduna Abu Humayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would stand for prayer, he would raise his hands up to his shoulders, then say Allahu Akbar until all the joints became straight, then he would recite (Qira’ah), then say Allahu Akbar and raise both hands up to the shoulders, then go into ruku’ and place both palms on both knees until every bone returned to its original position, and (in ruku’) he would neither raise his head nor lower it (keeping it level with the back), then while raising his head from ruku’ he would say «سمع الله لمن حمده» and raise his hands up to the shoulders. Abu ‘Asim said: I think at that time too he said: (after rising from ruku’ he would stand) until every bone (joint) returned to its place (original position), then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would say Allahu Akbar and go into prostration (sajdah) and in prostration he would keep both hands (arms) away from the sides, then he would raise his head from prostration and fold his left foot and sit on it, and when he prostrated he would keep the toes of his feet spread, then perform the second prostration, then while saying Allahu Akbar he would raise his head from prostration and fold his left foot and sit on it properly until every bone (joint) returned to its original position (i.e., he would sit calmly in the sitting of rest), then he would stand up and do the same in the second rak’ah, and when he stood for the third rak’ah he would again raise his hands up to the shoulders as he did at the beginning of the prayer, then he would complete his prayer in the same way until when he sat for the last tashahhud or sitting in which salam is said, he would take out his left foot (from under the right foot) and sit with tawarruk on the left side. The narrator said: All ten companions said: You have spoken the truth, this was exactly the way of the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).