It is narrated from Aswad and Alqamah (may Allah have mercy on them both) that we came to the house of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him). He asked: Have these people prayed behind you? We said: No. He said: Stand up and pray. But he did not command us to give either the adhan or the iqamah. We went to stand behind him, but he took us by the hands and placed one of us on his right and the other on his left.
When we bowed, we placed our hands on our knees, but he pinched our hands, joined his palms together and then placed them between his thighs. When we had finished the prayer, he said: "Soon there will be rulers over you who will delay the prayer from its time and hold it back until the last of its time. When you see these (rulers) doing so, then offer the prayer at its time, and make your prayer with them a voluntary one. When you are three men, pray together (in one row). If you are more than that, then let one of you go forward. When one of you bows, let him spread his forearms on his thighs." Then Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) joined his palms together and showed us, and said: It is as though I am looking at the fingers of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) interlaced. Abu Mu'awiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This practice has been abandoned.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2542