Encyclopedia of Prophetic Hadiths

he used to say takbīr in every obligatory and supererogatory prayer during Ramadan and others. He would say takbīr when he rose and say takbīr when he bowed. Then, he would say: "Sami'a allāhu liman hamidah" (Allah hears he who praises Him). Then, he would say, "Rabbanā wa laka al-hamd" (Our Lord, praise be to You) before prostrating. Then, he would say: "Allāhu akbar" (Allah is the Greatest) as he went down to prostration. Then, he would say takbīr upon raising his head from prostration, then say takbīr upon prostrating, and then say takbīr upon raising his head from prostration. Then, he would say takbīr upon rising from the sitting position both times. He would do so in every Rak'ah until he finished the prayer. Then, he would say as he left: "By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, I am the closest among you to the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Such was his prayer until he departed this world."

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to raise his hands in line with his shoulders when commencing the prayer, when saying Takbīr (proclaiming Allah's greatness) for Rukū‘ (bowing), and when raising his head from Rukū‘ he would raise them as well and say: "Sami‘allāhu liman hamidah, rabbana wa laka al-hamd" (Allah hears whoever praises Him, O our Lord, praise be to You). He did not use to do this in Sujūd (prostration).

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught me the Tashahhud, with my hand between his two hands, as he would teach me a Surah from the Qur’an: "At-tahiyyātu lillāhi was-salawātu wat-tayyibātu as-Salāmu ‘alayka ayyuha an-nabiyyu wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh, as-salāmu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ‘ibādillāhi as-sālihīn, ash-hadu alla ilāha illallāh wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasūluh (Greetings, prayers, and good things are due to Allah. May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you, O Prophet. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger)." Another wording reads: "Verily, Allah is the Giver of Peace, so when any of you sits in prayer, let him say: 'At-tahiyyātu lillāhi was-salawātu wat-tayyibātu as-salāmu ‘alayka ayyuha an-nabiyyu wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh, as-salāmu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ‘ibādillāhi as-sālihīn (Greetings, prayers, and good things are due to Allah. May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you, O Prophet. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah).' If you say this, it will benefit every righteous slave of Allah in heaven and on earth. (Then, say:) 'Ash-hadu alla ilāha illallāh wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasūluh (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).' Then, let him choose whatever supplication he would like."

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) entered the mosque, and then a man came in and prayed. He greeted the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who responded and said: "Go back and pray, for you have not prayed." He went back and prayed as he had prayed, then, he came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and greeted him. He said: "Go back and pray, for you have not prayed," three times. So, he said: By the One Who sent you with the truth, I cannot do better than that. So teach me. He said: "When you stand to pray, say Takbīr (Allāhu Akbar), then recite whatever you can of the Qur’an; then bow until you are at ease in bowing; then rise until you are standing up straight; then prostrate until you are at ease in prostration; and then sit up until you are at ease in sitting. Do that throughout your prayer."

"I have been commanded to prostrate on seven bones: the forehead (and he pointed to his nose), the hands, the knees, and the extremities of the feet, and not to tuck up the clothes and hair."

Some men came to Sahl ibn Sa'd as-Sā‘idi. They were wondering what kind of wood the Pulpit was made of. So, they asked him about it, and he said: "By Allah, I know what it is made of. I saw it the first day it was set up, and the first day the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sat on it. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent to so-and-so - a woman from the Ansār whose name was mentioned by Sahl - telling her: 'Tell your carpenter slave to make for me some pieces of wood that I can sit on when I speak to the people.' So, she told him, and he made it from Tamarisk wood from Al-Ghābah (a place near Madīnah). Then, he brought it, and it was sent to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who commanded that it be set up here. Then, I saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pray on it and say the takbīr while he was on it, and then he bowed while he was on it, and then he came down backwards and prostrated at the base of the Pulpit; and then he went back. When he finished, he turned to the people and said: 'O people, I only did this so that you can follow my example and learn my prayer.'"