Shaqiq (may Allah have mercy on him) says that a man came who was called Nahik bin Sinan, and he said: O Abu Abdur Rahman! How do you recite this verse: "of water unaltered" [Surah Muhammad: 15], with a ya' or with an alif? He (Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him)) said: Have you understood the whole Qur'an except this? He said: I recite the Mufassal surahs in a single rak'ah. Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: That is like reciting poetry, for the best prayer is the one with much bowing and prostration. People will recite the Qur'an and it will not go down past their throats; but when it is recited, it becomes firmly rooted in the hearts and benefits. I know the similar surahs that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite, two in each rak'ah. Then he stood up and went away. Alqamah (may Allah have mercy on him) came, and we said: Alqamah! Go and ask Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) about the similar surahs (nazair) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite in a single rak'ah. Alqamah (may Allah have mercy on him) asked, and he said: The first twenty surahs of the Mufassal.
(b) "The best prayer is the one with much bowing and prostration."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 4688
Abu Wa'il (may Allah have mercy on him) says that Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Have you understood the whole Qur'an except this? He said: I recite the Mufassal surahs in a single rak'ah. Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: That is like reciting poetry. "People will recite the Qur'an and it will not pass beyond their throats." But when it settles in the heart, it becomes firmly rooted in the heart and also benefits, for "the best prayer is the one with much bowing and prostration." I know the similar surahs of which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite two in each rak'ah. Then Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) left. After him Alqamah (may Allah have mercy on him) went in; then we went to him, and he said: He has informed me about them.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 4689
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Hubshi (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: Which deeds are best? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Faith in which there is no doubt, jihad in which there is no treachery, and an accepted Hajj." Then he was asked: Which prayer is most virtuous? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one with long standing."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 4690
Alqamah and al-Aswad both narrate from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man came to him and said: "I recite the Mufassal surahs in a single rak'ah." He said: "Do you rattle it off quickly like poetry, and scatter it like worthless talk? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would recite two similar surahs in a single rak'ah." Such as al-Rahman [Surah al-Rahman: 1] and al-Najm [Surah al-Najm: 1] in one rak'ah; "The Hour has drawn near" [Surah al-Qamar: 1] and al-Haqqah [Surah al-Haqqah: 1] in one rak'ah; al-Tur [Surah al-Tur: 1] and al-Dhariyat [Surah al-Dhariyat: 1] in one rak'ah; "When the Event occurs" [Surah al-Waqi'ah: 1] and "Nun. By the pen" [Surah al-Qalam: 1] in one rak'ah; "About what are they asking one another?" [Surah al-Naba': 1] and al-Mursalat [Surah al-Mursalat: 1] in one rak'ah; and al-Dukhan [Surah al-Dukhan: 1] and "When the sun is wrapped up" [Surah al-Takwir: 1] in one rak'ah.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 4691
In this hadith, some additional words are reported from Isra'il: "A questioner asked" [Surah al-Ma'arij: 1] and "By those who extract" [Surah al-Nazi'at: 1] in one rak'ah; "Woe to those who give short measure" [Surah al-Mutaffifin: 1] and "He frowned" [Surah Abasa: 1] in one rak'ah; then he mentioned "About what are they asking one another?" [Surah al-Naba': 1] and the one after it in one rak'ah.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 4692
Shaqiq (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him); he mentioned a hadith with the same meaning as the hadith of Waki', except that he said: "The best prayer is the one with bowing and prostration. I know the similar surahs that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite, two in each rak'ah: twenty surahs in ten rak'ahs."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 4693
Ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him) says that Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to recite ten surahs in a single rak'ah.
Asim (may Allah have mercy on him) says: I mentioned this to Abu al-Aliyah (may Allah have mercy on him), and he said: I recite twenty surahs in a single rak'ah, but someone who heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) told me that he said: "Every surah has its share of bowing and prostration."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 4694
Abu al-Aliyah (may Allah have mercy on him) says: Someone who heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told me that he said: "Every surah has its share of bowing and prostration." Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: Who told you this? He said: I remember, and I also remember the place where he told me.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 4695
Mukhariq (may Allah have mercy on him) says: I passed by Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) at al-Rabadhah while I was intending Hajj. I entered his house and found him praying a prayer with light standing, as long as "Indeed, We have granted you al-Kawthar" [Surah al-Kawthar: 1] and "When the help of Allah and the victory come" [Surah al-Nasr: 1], but doing much bowing and prostration. When he finished the prayer, I said: I saw that you keep the standing short and do much bowing and prostration? He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "No servant prostrates once to Allah or bows once, but that Allah wipes away a sin from him and raises him one degree."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 4696
Jubayr bin Nufayr (may Allah have mercy on him) says that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) saw a young man praying; he had lengthened his prayer (that is, he lengthened the standing) and kept his bowing and prostration short. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) asked: Is there anyone who knows him? A man said: I know him. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: If I knew him, I would order him to lengthen the bowing and prostration, for I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "When the servant stands to pray, his sins are brought and placed on his head and shoulders; when he bows and prostrates, those sins fall off him."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 4697