(a) It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When one of you prostrates, he should not kneel down as a camel kneels; rather, he should first place his hands on the ground, then his knees."
(b) In the narration of Abu Dawud: Muhammad bin Abdullah bin al-Hasan informed me that "He should place his hands before his knees."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2633
(a) It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When one of you is about to prostrate, he should not kneel down as a camel kneels; rather, he should place his hands on his knees."
(b) He narrated it with the words 'ala rukbatayhi (on his knees). If this narration is sound, it is evidence that the worshipper places his hands on his knees when going down into prostration.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2634
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When one of you prostrates, he should place his knees before his hands, and he should not kneel down as a camel kneels."
However, Abdullah bin Sa'id al-Maqburi is da'if (weak), and the narration that contradicts it is narrated only by Muhammad bin Abdullah bin al-Hasan, and from him only by al-Darawardi.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2635
(a) It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Some of you lean in your prayer and kneel down just as a camel kneels."
(b) It is known from narrations that this ruling (of placing the hands first) was abrogated, and that the abrogating narration is that of Wa'il bin Hujr, although its chain is weak.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2636
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:صحيح
Hadith Takhrij«صحيح۔ وقد تقدم قريبا برقم 2632۔ 2634»
(a) It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) that at first we used to place our hands before our knees; then we were commanded "to place our knees before our hands."
So he narrated it; but what is well known from Mus'ab from his father is the hadith about the abrogation of tatbiq (pressing the palms together between the knees in bowing), and Allah knows best. Abd al-Aziz al-Darawardi has another chain for it, and I consider it nothing but an error.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2637
(a) It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he used to place his hands on the ground before his knees, and he would say that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do so.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2638
(a) It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), attributing it to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Indeed, the hands prostrate just as the face prostrates; so when one of you places his face on the ground for prostration, he should place his hands along with it, and when he raises his face, he should raise his hands as well."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2639