Method of Prayer

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified that Allah commanded him to prostrate in prayer on seven body parts, which are: First: The forehead, i.e., the upper part of the face above the nose and eyes. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pointed with his hand to his nose to clarify that the forehead and the nose represent one part of the seven and to stress the fact that one must touch the ground with his nose in prostration. The second and third parts: The two hands. The fourth and fifth: The knees. The sixth and seventh: The toes of both feet. He commanded us not to tie our hair or fold up our clothes when prostrating on the ground to protect them; rather, we should let them spread out and fall on the ground to prostrate along with the body parts.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to make these five supplications between the two prostrations in his prayer, which the Muslim badly needs. These supplications combine the goodness of this world and the Hereafter: seeking Allah's forgiveness and His concealment and pardon of sins; bestowing His mercy; granting safety from suspicions, vain desires, and illnesses and maladies; asking Allah for guidance to the truth and steadfastness upon it; and asking Him for provision, which includes faith, knowledge, righteous deeds, and good and lawful wealth.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to raise his hands to be parallel with or in alignment with the shoulder, which is the part where the shoulder and upper arm bones are connected, in three positions during the prayer. First position: When commencing the prayer and making Takbīrat al-Ihrām (Opening Takbīr). Second: When making Takbīr for Rukū‘. Third: When raising his head from Rukū‘ and saying: Sami‘allāhu liman hamidah, rabbana wa laka al-hamd" (Allah hears whoever praises Him, O our Lord, praise be to You). He would not raise his hands upon making Sujūd or rising therefrom.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) the Tashahhud, which is to be recited in prayer, while holding his hand between both his hands to attract his attention to him, just as he would teach him a Surah from the Qur’an. This signifies how important the Prophet regarded this Tashahhud, its words and meanings. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "At-tahiyyātu lillāh": It means that every word or deed denoting glorification is due to Allah Almighty. "As-salawāt": It means that the known prayers, both the obligatory and the voluntary, are due to Allah Almighty. "At-tayyibāt": It means that the good words, deeds, and attributes that denote perfection are all due to Allah Almighty. "As-salāmu ‘alayka ayyuha an-nabiyyu wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh": A supplication for him to be granted safety from every evil and harm and to be granted more of all good things. "As-salāmu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ‘ibādillāhi as-sālihīn": It is a supplication for the one praying and for every righteous slave in heaven and on earth to be granted safety. "Ash-hadu alla ilāha illallāh": It means I firmly acknowledge that there is no true god but Allah. "Wa anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasūluh": I affirm that he is a slave of Allah and His last Messenger. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessing be upon him) urged the one praying to choose whatever supplication he would like.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that moderation should be observed in prostration, in such a way that the one praying adopts a good posture in prostration, with his hands on the ground and his forearms lifted and kept away from his sides. This is because such a posture indicates the energy and eagerness required in prayer, and also because this good posture allows all the prostrating organs to have their share in worship. He forbade spreading the forearms in prostration because it is evidence of laziness and boredom, and it also constitutes imitating the dog, which is an improper imitation.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered us to say 'amen' when the Imām says it because this is the time when the angels say 'amen', and whoever says it at the same time as the angels his previous sins will be forgiven.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified the position of the hands during the prostration in prayer. The palms should be put on the ground with the fingers joined facing the Qiblah (prayer direction), whereas the elbows—the joint between the forearm and the upper arm—should be raised and not touch the ground and should be kept away from the sides.

This Hadīth demonstrates the way of going down for prostration. It suggests that one should place his hands down before his knees. However, there are other Hadīths stating that one should place his knees down before his hands. So, both ways are valid, and the one who does this or that should not be subject to criticism.

The Hadīth indicates that the person offering the prayer should place his hands on the ground before his knees when going down into prostration (prostration). However, the Hadīth of Wā’il ibn Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him) contradicts this Hadīth, stating that the worshiper should place his knees on the ground before his hands when going down into prostration. It is a broad matter of Ijtihād (independent reasoning) which can accommodate multiple views. That is why some scholars of Fiqh give the worshiper the choice between the two actions, either due to the weakness of the Hadīths on both sides or due to their contradicting each other without any of them outweighing the others. Hence, this has led to accommodating the two views and giving the choice to the praying person to choose between the two positions.

When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wanted to end his prayer, he would make Taslīm to his right and left by turning his face to the right along with saying: (May Allah's peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you), and then make Taslīm to his left by turning his face to the left along with saying: (May Allah's peace and mercy be upon you).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to prefer reciting {Say, “O disbelievers} [Surat al-Kāfirūn] in the first Rak‘ah of the Fajr confirmed voluntary prayer, after reciting Surat al-Fātihah, and {Say: “He is Allah, the One} [Surat al-Ikhlās] in the second Rak‘ah.

Some men came to one of the Companions and asked him about the Prophet's Pulpit which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used, as to what it was made of. They debated and disputed about that. So, he mentioned to them that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent to a woman from the Ansār who had a carpenter slave, saying to her: Tell your slave to make a pulpit for me that I can sit on when I speak to the people. The woman complied and told her slave to make for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) a pulpit from Tamarisk wood. When he finished the Pulpit, the woman sent it to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who commanded that it be placed in its place in the Mosque. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed on it, said takbīr while on it, and bowed while on it. Then, he came down backward without turning his face behind and prostrated himself next to the base of the Pulpit, and he then went back. When he finished the prayer, he turned to the people and said: O people, I only did this so that you can follow my example and learn my prayer.

The Companion Abu Mūsa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) offered a prayer. When he was sitting for tashahhud, one of those praying behind him said: The prayer is mentioned in the Qur'an along with benevolence and Zakah. When Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) finished the prayer, he asked the worshipers: Who amongst you has made this statement: The prayer is mentioned in the Qur'an along with benevolence and Zakah?! The people kept silent, and none of them spoke. He repeated the question once again, and no one responded to him. Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Perhaps you, Hittān, have said it! This is because he was brave and close to him, so his suspicion of him would not hurt him, and it would prompt the real doer to admit what he said. Hittān denied that and said: I was afraid you might indict me for thinking I said that. Thereupon, one among the people said: I said it and intended nothing but good by saying it. Abu Mūsa, by way of teaching him, said: Do you not know what you have to say in your prayers?! He meant to show disapproval. Then, Abu Mūsa informed that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) addressed them one day, explaining to them their Shariah and teaching them their prayer, and said: When you pray, straighten your rows, stand upright, and let one of the people lead them in prayer. When the Imām says the takbīr of ihrām, say takbīr like him, and when he recites Al-Fātihah and reaches {Not of those who incurred Your Wrath, or of those who went astray} [Surat al-Fātihah: 7], say 'amen'. If you do this, Allah will answer your supplication. When he says takbīr and bows, say takbīr and bow, for the Imām bows before you and rises before you; so, do not get ahead of him. This is because the moment in which the Imām bows before you is redressed by the moment you delay while bowing after he rises from Rukū '. This moment is equivalent to this one, and thus your Rukū 'is equal to his Rukū '. And when the Imām says, "Allah hears he who praises Him", say: "O Allah, our Lord, praise be to You." If the worshipers say that, Allah Almighty will hear their supplication and statement, for Allah Almighty said through the tongue of His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): Allah hears he who praises Him. Then, when the Imām says takbīr and prostrates, those praying behind him should say takbīr and prostrate, for the Imām prostrates before them and rises before them. This moment is equivalent to this moment. Thus, the prostration of the worshipers is equal to that of the Imām. And when he sits for tashahhud, the first words of the worshipers should be: "All greetings, good things, and prayers are due to Allah." The dominion, eternal existence, and greatness are all due to Allah Almighty; likewise, the five prayers are all for Allah. "Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and Allah's mercy and blessings. Peace be upon us and the righteous servants of Allah." Supplicate Allah for safety from every defect, deficiency, imperfection, and corruption. We give a particular greeting to our Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and then we greet ourselves. Then we greet the pious servants of Allah who fulfill their duties, including the rights of Allah Almighty and the rights of His servants. Then, we testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) describes part of the Prophet's prayer. He informs that when he stood for prayer, he would say the takbīr of ihrām (opening takbīr). Then, he would say takbīr in the following cases: when he bowed for Rukū 'when he prostrated himself and raised his head from prostration. When he made the second prostration, he raised his head and rose from the first two Rak'ahs after sitting for the first tashahhud in the three-Rak'ah or four-Rak'ah prayer. Then, he would do this in the whole prayer until he finished it. He would say upon raising his back from Rukū ': Allah hears he who praises Him. And while standing upright, he would say: Our Lord, praise be to You. Then, Abu Hurayrah would say after he finished the prayer: 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 Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pointed out that the worst thief among people is the one who steals from his prayer. This is because when a person takes the money of others, he may utilize it in worldly life, unlike this thief, who steals his share of the reward. They said: O Messenger of Allah, how does he steal from his prayer? He said: He does not perform its Rukū 'or prostration perfectly; he bows and prostrates himself in haste, so he does not perform them correctly.

When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) raised his back from Rukū 'in prayer, he would say: "Allah hears he who praises Him", i.e., Whoever praises Allah Almighty, Allah Almighty responds to him. It was said: He praises and rewards him. Then, he would praise Allah by saying: "O Allah, our Lord, to You is the praise as much as fills the heavens, as much as fills the earth, and as much as fills whatever You will thereafter." Praise that fills the heavens and the earth and what is between them and fills anything Allah wills.

When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sat between the two prostrations, he would say: My Lord, forgive me; my Lord, forgive me, repeatedly. "My Lord, forgive me" means: The servant asks his Lord to eliminate his sins and conceal his faults.

‘Uthmān ibn Abi al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, Satan intervenes between me and my prayer and prevents me from offering it with Khushū‘ (humility and focus) and makes me confused and doubtful about my recitation in it. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: That is Satan, who is known as Khinzab. If you perceive that and feel it, seek refuge with Allah from him and blow three times to your left with a bit of saliva. 'Uthmān said: I did what the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded me to do, and Allah caused him to depart from me.

Throughout prayer one glorifies Allah with words and actions. This noble Hadīth explains the emblem of prayer: Allah's grandeur and greatness. This was made its symbol only because prayer itself was prescribed for the exaltation and glorification of Allah. When starting the prayer, one says the Takbīr al-Ihrām while standing up. After one recites some Qur'an and bows, one says "Allah Akbar". Then when rising from bowing, one says ''Allah hears the one who praised Him!'' Then one stands up again, praises Allah and glorifies Him while standing. When going down for prostration, one says "Allah Akbar" and does so when rising one's head from prostration. The procedure is observed throughout the prayer, until one finishes. When standing up from the first Tashahhud, one says "Allah Akbar". In taking up a new posture in prayer, one says Takbīr except when rising from bowing.

Al-Barā ibn ‘Āzib (may Allah be pleased with him) describes the Prophet's prayer as he watched him closely to learn how he prayed and follow his example. He mentioned that all the Prophet's postures were in proportion. So, his standing for recitation and sitting for the Tashahhud were proportional to bowing, standing up after bowing, and prostration. He would not prolong his standing and shorten his bowing, nor would he prolong his prostration and shorten his standing. Rather, he would keep each posture commensurate with others. This does not mean that his standing and sitting for Tashahhud were exactly equal in length to his bowing and prostration. It means that he would not shorten one and prolong the other.

The Hadīth informs that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would occasionally carry Umāmah, the daughter of his daughter Zaynab, while he was in prayer. He would put her on his shoulder when he was standing and place her on the ground when he bowed or prostrated himself. He did this out of love and affection.

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that in spite of his long companionship with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and staying with him and his Rightly-Guided Successors, he never heard any of them recite "In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful" in prayer, neither at the start, nor at the end. Rather, they used to start the prayer with {[All] praise is [due] to Allah, the Lord of the worlds} [Sūrat al-Fātihah: 1]. The scholars held different opinions on the ruling of reciting the Basmalah (In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful) out loud, and the sound opinion is that the praying person recites the Basmalah secretly before reciting Sūrat al-Fātihah in every Rak‘ah of the prayer, whether it is a prayer with silent recitation or one that is recited out loud.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) appointed a man in charge of an army unit to be in charge and judge between them so that everything take place in an orderly fashion and without chaos. He chose the most religious, knowledgeable, and expert one of them. For this reason, rulers and scholars were to lead the prayers due to their knowledge and religion. He always concluded his recitation with Sūrat al-Ikhlās in the second Rak‘ah of every prayer because of his love of Allah and His names and attributes. It is natural whenever someone loves something that he increases its remembrance. When they returned to Madīnah, they reported this to the Prophet. So he said: "Ask him why he does this!" Is it a coincidence, or is there a special reason? The leader said: "I do this because this Sūrah contains the attributes of the Most Merciful and I love to repeat it because of this. So the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Inform him, just as he repeats this Sūrah - because of what it contains of Allah's beautiful names and attributes and because he loves it - Allah loves him as well."

This Hadīth clarifies the symbol of prayer, which is affirming greatness and glory for Allah, the Almighty, by making Takbīr. Here, Mutarrif narrates that he was praying with ‘Imrān ibn Husayn behind ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib, who made Takbīr when prostrating and then again when raising his head from the prostration. When standing up after the first Tashahhud, he made Takbīr as well while standing up. Many people have abandoned saying the Takbīr aloud in these positions. After he had finished praying, ‘Imrān took Mutarrif's hand and told him that the prayer of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) reminded him of the prayer of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) who used to make Takbīr in these positions.

It was the habit of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to recite long Sūrahs in the Fajr prayer, short Sūrahs in the Maghrib prayer, and medium-length Sūrahs in the rest of the five prayers. However, he would sometimes change that habit for the sake of showing the permissibility or for other purposes. This applies to the Hadīth in hand, which mentions that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recited Sūrat At-Tūr, which is a one of the longer Sūrahs of the "Mufassal" section of the Qur'an in the Maghrib prayer.

Abu Qilābah said that Mālik ibn al-Huwayrith, who was one of the Companions, approached them in their mosque saying that he had come to them to lead them in prayer, with the intention of teaching them practically how the Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed. He did that because seeing a practical demonstration of something is easy to understand and lasts a long time in people’s memories. The narrator asked Abu Qilābah how Mālik ibn al-Huwayrith prayed. He replied telling him that it was the same way as their sheikh, Abu Zayd ‘Amr ibn Salāmah al-Jarmi, prayed. The sheikh would sit briefly when he raised his head from prostration and before standing up.

When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got up for prayer, he would say: “I have turned my face to the One who created the heavens and the earth,” meaning that I direct my worship to Allah, I devote my worship to Allah who created the heavens and the earth without precedent, and I turn away from any other than Him. The One who originated all these creatures with such creativity and precision truly deserves that all faces turn to Him, and all hearts rely on Him in all their states; turning not to other than Him, and hoping for nothing but His perpetual contentment and grace. “…in complete devotion and I am not one of the polytheists” meaning that I am leaning away from all false religions and inclining towards the true religion; Islam, and remaining firm upon it. Among the Arabs, Islam prevailed over everyone who was following the religion of Ibrahīm (peace be upon him). Then he said: “Verily my prayer, my sacrifice, my life and my death are for Allah, the Lord of the worlds; there is no partner with Him and this is what I have been commanded (to profess and believe) and I am of the Muslims,” meaning that my prayer, my worship, and my efforts to draw closer are all devoted to Allah. I do not have partners alongside Him. Likewise is my life and my death; Allah is the One who created and decreed them, and no one but Him disposes of them. There is no partner with Him in His essence, His attributes, and His actions. My Lord commanded me to worship Him alone with such devotion, and I am of the believers who yield and submit to Him, Exalted is He. Then he said: “O Allah, You are the Sovereign; there is no god but You. You are my Lord, and I am Your slave. I have wronged myself and I have admitted my sin, so forgive all my sins, for no one forgives sins but You,” meaning, O Allah, You are the King and there is no king but You; and verily, there is no sovereignty for anyone but You. You alone possess Divinity, and there is no god but but You. You are my Lord and I am Your slave; I have wronged myself by being unmindful of You and by committing sins and acts of disobedience. I have acknowledged my sins, so forgive them for me, because no one forgives sins but You. You are the Oft-Forgiving and the Superb Forgiver. Then he said: “Guide me to the best of morals for none can guide to them but You, and deliver me from the worst of morals for none can deliver me from them but You,” meaning, show me the way, grant me steadfastness, and help me attain the best conduct in your worship and all other good conduct, what is open and what is secret in them, for You are the One who guides to them and there is no other guide than You. Keep me away and protect me from bad conduct, because no one can keep me away and protect me from it but You. Then he said: “Here I am, in answer to Your call, happy to serve You”; meaning that I am ever obedient to You, and I am always glad to hold fast to worshiping You and to answering Your call. Then he said: “All good is within Your hands,” meaning that all good is in Your disposition (of affairs). You are the Possessor of all goodness and You dispose of it the way You will. “…and evil does not stem from You,” meaning that evil does not lie in Your actions; it only lies in what You created but not in Your actions, Exalted are You. Evil is not attributed to Allah in any way, not in His essence, His attributes, His actions or His names. His essence is absolutely perfect in all aspects. His attributes are those of perfection for which He is praised and lauded. His actions are all good, merciful, just, wise, and totally devoid of evil. And His names are all beautiful; so how can evil be attributed to Him? Rather, evil is in what He created, and He is detached from it. There is a distinction between His actions and His creation; His action is all good, but the creation comprises both good and evil. If evil is a separate stand-alone creation, it is not attributed to Him. There is no supportive argument in this for the Mu‘tazilite claim that Allah did not create evil. Allah created good and evil and He created all things, Exalted may He be. “I exist by You and I turn to You,” meaning that I seek refuge in You, I rely on You, I take shelter with You, I undertake everything with Your help, and I turn to You; or, I worship You alone and my affairs lie with You alone. You are the start and You are the destination. It was also said that it means I seek Your help and I turn to You. “Blessed and exalted may You be,” meaning may You be glorified and lauded, may Your graces multiply, and may You be exalted far above what imaginations fancy and what minds conceptualize. Exalted are You above every deficiency and flaw. “I seek Your forgiveness and repent to You,” meaning that I ask forgiveness for my past sins, and I refrain from sinning in what is left of my life, turning to You to grant me success and steadfastness until the day I die. When he bowed, he would say: “O Allah, it is for You that I bowed, it is in You that I believed, and it is to You that I submitted. Humbled to You are my hearing, my eyesight, my mind, my bones, and my tendons,” meaning that my bowing is devoted to You alone. I have believed in You and submitted to You. All my body – my hearing, sight, mind, bones and tendons – humbly follow Your command. When he rose from bowing, he would say: “O Allah, our Lord, praise is due to You, (praise) that fills the heavens and the earth, that fills what exists between them, and that fills anything You desire afterward,” meaning that I praise You with an amount of praise that, if it were tangible, it would fill the heavens and the earth and whatever You wish it to fill of Your creation after filling the heavens and the earth. When he prostrated himself, he would say: “O Allah, it is to You that I prostrated myself, it is in You that I affirmed my faith, and it is to You that I submitted. My face has prostrated to the One who created it, shaped it and split open its faculties of hearing and seeing. Blessed is Allah, the best of Creators,” meaning that my prostration is to You alone, sincerely devoted to You. I have believed in You, yielded to You, and all my senses, which You created and shaped, humbly follow Your command. Blessed is Allah, the best of Creators. Then, one of the last things he would say between the Tashahhud and Taslīm is: “O Allah, forgive my past and future sins, my hidden and apparent sins, my transgression, and the sins that You know of more than I do. You are the One who puts forward and the One who holds back. There is no deity worthy of worship but You,” meaning forgive my early and my later sins; as if he is saying: forgive the old and the new sins. “…my hidden and apparent sins,” meaning forgive the sins that I kept secret and those that I made public, or the sins I thought about inside my head and those that my tongue spoke of. “…my transgression,” meaning the sins and acts of disobedience that I went too far in. “…and the sins that You know of more than I do,” meaning forgive my sins that I do not know about. “You are the One who puts forward and the One who holds back,” meaning that You advance whomever You will in worship and obedience and You hold back whomever You will from that, as Your wisdom dictates. You grant honor to whoever You will and You cause humiliation to whoever You will. “There is no god but You,” meaning that there is no god who truly deserves to be worshiped but You.

This noble Hadīth clarifies the permissibility of returning the greeting with a hand gesture during prayer based on the action of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) with the Ansār; when they greeted him while he was praying in Qubā' Mosque, he simply extended his hand.

The noble Hadīth shows that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was leading the people in prayer while carrying Umāmah bint al-‘Ās, the daughter of his daughter Zaynab, (may Allah be pleased with her). On bowing and prostrating, he put her down, and when he stood up he carried her and so on. This indicates that there is nothing wrong with carrying children when praying.

This noble Hadīth points out that killing snakes and scorpions even during prayer is recommendable, because we have been ordered to kill them, and because their killing requires a limited movement that does not invalidate prayer.

This Hadīth is known as “The Hadīth of the one harming his prayer”. Commentators quote this Hadīth when describing the obligatory acts and conditions of the prayer. In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught perfectly the components of the prayer that must be present. Anything that is not mentioned in this Hadīth is not considered obligatory. In general, this Hadīth relates an incident where a Companion called Khallad ibn Rāfi‘ entered the mosque after the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and performed prayer without perfecting its actions and words. When the man had finished his prayer, he came to greet the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) with the greeting of peace. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) replied to him and said: “Go back and pray again, for you have not prayed.” The man returned and prayed in the same way he had done before. He then went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) who told him to go back and pray again, for he had not prayed. On the third time, the man said: “I swear by the One who sent you with the Truth, I cannot pray better than this! Please, teach me how to do it.” As the man had a thirst for knowledge and was still prepared to gain it after going back and forth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: “When you want to pray, say the Takbīr of Ihrām (to initiate the prayer) and recite whatever is convenient to you from the Qur’an after Sūrat al-Fātihah. Then bow until you are at ease in bowing and 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. Then do that throughout the whole prayer, except for the Takbīr of Ihrām, which is only said in the first Rak‘ah. The other versions of the Hadīth listed a couple of other conditions for prayer, such as facing the Qibla (prayer direction) and performing ablution.

This noble Hadīth explains the manner in which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform the prayer, and indeed it is the most perfect manner that should be followed by whoever intends to perform it. The Hadīth mentions a set of the acts related to prayer, including the prayer's pillars and obligatory and recommended acts, starting from Takbīr and ending with Taslīm, as follows: When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stood up for prayer, he would raise his hands up to the level of his shoulders, then say Takbīr and wait in submissive devotion until every bone returned to its normal place. Then he would recite the Qur’an, then make Takbīr, raising his hands parallel with his shoulders. Then he would bow, placing his palms on his knees. Then he would stand straight, without raising up his head nor lowering it much; rather he kept it in a mild position. Thereafter, he would raise his head and say: "Allah hears those who praise him", raising his hands up to the level of his shoulders while standing straight. He would then say "Allah is the Greatest" and fall down in prostration, distancing his hands from his sides. Then he would raise his head, tuck his left foot, and sit on it. he used to spread out his toes when he prostrated. He would then prostrate once more and say "Allah is the Greatest" and then raise his head. After that, he would tuck his left foot again and sit on it and wait until every bone returned to its normal place. he would do the same in the second Rak‘ah. When he stood up after finishing the second Rak‘ah, he would say "Allah is the Greatest" and raise his hands up to the level of his shoulders, just as he did at the beginning of the prayer. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would do the same throughout his prayer, until he came to the prostration that would be followed by Taslīm, wherein he would lay aside his left leg and sit with his left posterior placed on the ground (Tawarruk). The statement "the prostration that would be followed by Taslīm" is mentioned as such in the wording of this narration of the Hadīth; but Hadīth commentators have explained that what is meant here is the final sitting that precedes the Taslīm.

The Mother of the Believers ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) mentioned the prayer of the Prophet (ﷺ) that he would begin his prayer with the opening Takbīr, saying: "Allāhu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest)," and he would begin the recitation with Surat al-Fātihah: {All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds...}. And when he bowed after standing, he would neither raise nor lower his head while bowing, but kept it level and straight. When he raised his head from bowing, he would stand upright before going into prostration. And when he raised his head from the first prostration, he would not go into the second until he was completely settled in the sitting position. He would sit after every two Rak‘ahs for the Tashahhud (sitting of testimony) and say: "At-Tahiyyātu lillāhi was-salawātu wat-tayyibāt..." (Greetings, prayers, and good things are due to Allah...). When sitting between the two prostrations or for the Tashahhud, he would spread his left foot and sit upon it, and erect his right foot. He forbade a person praying from sitting in prayer like the sitting of the devil—that is, by spreading his feet flat on the ground and sitting on his heels, or by placing his buttocks on the ground while erecting his legs and resting his hands on the ground like a dog does. He also forbade spreading one's forearms flat on the ground during prostration, as wild beasts do. He would conclude his prayer with Taslīm: "As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullāh (Peace and mercy of Allah be upon you)," once to the right and once to the left.

"And he placed his right hand above his left hand." The word 'hand', here, refers to the palm. This is supported by the Hadīth narrated by Abu Dawūd and An-Nasā’i in the following wording: "Then he placed his right hand above the surface of his left palm, along with the wrist and forearm." "On his chest" means that he placed his right hand above his left hand and placed both of them on his chest while he was standing in prayer.

The noble Hadīth indicates that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his two Companions (may Allah be pleased with both them) did not use to recite "In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful" loudly at the beginning of Sūrat al-Fātihah during the prayer. This confirms that Basmalah is not part of Sūrat al-Fātihah. The Permanent Committee for Issuing Fatwas stated: "The sound opinion is that the Basmalah is not part of Sūrat al-Fātihah nor any other Sūrah. Rather, it is an independent verse in the Qur'an, and part of a verse in Sūrat An-Naml, which reads: {Indeed, it is from Sulaymān, and it reads: {In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful} [Sūrat An-Naml: 30]. It is recommended to recite it at the beginning of every Sūrah, except Sūrat At-Tawbah. It is an act of Sunnah to recite it silently during the prayer before Sūrat al-Fātihah."

This noble Hadīth indicates that during the prayers with inaudible recitation such as Zhuhr and ‘Asr, one should recite Sūrat al-Fātihah with another Sūrah in the first two Rak‘āhs, and recite Sūrat al-Fātihah only in the last two Rak‘āhs exactly as done in the audible prayers. There is no harm if one raises his voice a little for the purpose of teaching others.

This noble Hadīth clarifies the duration of standing in the Zhuhr and ‘Asr prayers. The duration of standing in the first two Rak‘ahs of the Zhuhr prayer is equal to the duration of reciting thirty verses; the time taken to recite Sūrat As-Sajdah, and the last two Rak‘ahs take about half that time; the time taken to recite fifteen verses. The ‘Asr prayer is shorter than the Zhuhr prayer, as the first two Rak‘ahs last long enough to recite fifteen verses and the last two Rak‘ahs take half that time; the time taken to recite seven to eight verses.

This Hadīth points out that there was an Imām in the Prophet’s mosque whose prayer resembled that of the Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). He would imitate the Messenger in terms of the length of each Rak‘ah. He would lengthen the first two Rak‘as of the Zhuhr prayer and shorten the last two. He would do so in the ‘Asr also. He would recite the short chapters of the Mufassal Sūrahs (from Sūrat Qāf till the end of the Qur’an) in the Maghrib prayer. In the ‘Ishā' prayer, he would recite Sūrat al-Layl and similar-sized Sūrahs. He would lengthen the Fajr prayer.

In this Hadīth, Jubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recite Sūrat At-Tūr in the first two Rak‘ahs of the Maghrib prayer, and that was when he came to free the captives after the battle of Badr. He embraced Islam after that.

“Kufah was conquered by a man called Zamān ibn al-Ash‘ath. He ordered Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn ‘Abdullāh to lead people in prayer.” This man was Matar ibn Nājiyah, as he was called in another narration. Abu ‘Ubaydah was the son of ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him). “When he performed the prayer, he would rise from bowing and stand for as long it took me to say: "O Allah, our Lord, to You is all praise…" This amount of time is one of the requirements of prayer. As for the addition: “…that fills the heavens…” this is recommended according to the Prophet’s statement: "When the Imām says, 'Allah hears he who praises him,' say: 'Our Lord, to You is all praise.’” "O Allah, our Lord, to You is all praise" is a supplication and acknowledgement, meaning: Our Lord, answer our invocations, and all praise is due to You for leading us to guidance and success. "…that fills the heavens and the earth" is meant to magnify the amount of praise. In other words: Our Lord, You deserve such praise that, if it were bodies, would fill all that space. “…and whatever You will beyond that”, meaning: what we do not know of Your vast dominion. “All praise and glory belong to You”, meaning: Our Lord, You deserve all praise (commendation) and glory (greatness, power, and supreme honor). The Only One worthy of absolute commendation and exaltation is Allah, the Almighty. “No one can withhold what You have given…”, meaning: no one can prevent what You want to give. “…and no one can give what You have withheld”, meaning: no one can give what You will to withhold, out of Your wisdom and justice. “And the good fortune of a person will not avail him before You”, meaning: The wealth and good fortune of a person does not benefit him in Your sight, earn him any reward, or save him from punishment. Indeed, nothing is beneficial, except if so willed by You. Al-Hakam added: "I mentioned that to ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abu Layla and he said: ‘I heard Al-Barā' ibn ‘Āzib say: “In the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), the bowing, rising from bowing, prostration, and sitting between the two prostrations were all roughly the same (in length).”’” This means that the pillars of the Prophet’s prayer lasted similar lengths of time and there was only a slight difference between them. If he prolonged his standing, he would bow for a length of time close to it, and the same would happen with the other pillars. Conversely, when he shortened his standing, he would also shorten his bowing, making it close in length to the standing. And the same applied to the other pillars. This Hadīth is understood to refer to some instances only, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would occasionally prolong his prayer. In short, the Prophet’s prayers were of a similar length of time. So his bowing, rising from bowing, prostration, and sitting between the two prostrations were nearly the same length, but he would sometimes prolong the standing for the Qur’an recitation.

The Hadīth indicates that when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) bowed, he would hold his knees with his palms and spread out his fingers, as this posture helps a person bow properly and straighten his back at the same level with his head. And in prostration, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would place his palms on the ground and join his fingers together, leaving no space between them, so that he could face the Qiblah perfectly. This also makes prostration less burdensome.

It was part of the Prophet’s Sunnah that when he stood from the first to the second Rak‘ah or from the third to the fourth one, he would briefly settle in the sitting position first, before standing up. This is called “the sitting of rest”, and it was reported by a group of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them.

This Hadīth clarifies the permissibility of supplicating during calamities. It is to be performed after rising from Rukū‘, according to the way the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did when Banu Sulaym broke the covenant between them and the Muslims by killing 40 or 70 of the reciters whom the Prophet had sent to them. The Prophet supplicated against them for a month after rising from Rukū‘.

This noble Hadīth shows the cases in which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to say the Qunūt. He used to do it either when making supplication for some people or make supplication against some people. This confirms the permissibility of saying the Qunūt during disasters or calamities. There is no text proving that Qunūt has been made in obligatory prayers except at times of disasters and calamities. This is because the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not say the Qunūt except he would supplicate for welfare of a Muslim people or supplicate for destruction of the disbelievers. This type of Qunūt is not specific for a certain prayer; rather, one should do it during all the prayers.

This noble Hadīth clarifies that the Qunūt during the Fajr prayer – if it is not because of a calamity that has befallen Muslims – is an innovation in religion. Shaykh al-Islam said: "One should not make Qunūt except in the Witr prayer unless a calamity befalls the Muslims, in which case all people praying should make Qunūt in every prayer. However, this is emphasized in the Fajr and Maghrib prayers in proportion to that calamity. Whoever contemplates the Sunnah will know without a doubt that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) never consistently performed Qunūt in any of the prayers.

This Hadīth describes what the Prophet used to do in his Tashahhud, which he calls a ''supplication.'' When he took that position, Ibn ‘Umar says: “The Prophet would put his left hand on his left knee” [Muslim]. The Tashahhud is to say: "Greetings, prayers, and good words be to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy and blessings of Allah. Peace be upon us and the righteous slaves of Allah..." It is called a ''supplication'', due to these two invocations: "peace be upon you" and "peace be upon us.'' When the Prophet sat for Tashahhud, he would put his right hand on his right thigh and his left hand on his left thigh. In doing so, he would prevent himself from making unnecessary movements with his hand. Putting the hand on the thigh means that the fingertips will reach the knee. In the narration from Wā'il ibn Hujr: ''The Prophet put his left palm on his left thigh and knee, and put the edge of his right elbow on his right thigh" [An-Nasā'i]. So by putting the edge of the elbow on the thigh, the tips of one's fingers will definitely reach the knee. An-Nawawi said: "Scholars are agreed that it is recommended to put the hand on the knee. Some say that the fingers should be bent over the knee to cover it.'' This position applies in both the first and the second Tashahhud. The Prophet would point with his index finger to indicate the Oneness of Allah. This is an act of the Sunnah to observe from the start to the end of the Tashahhud. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar said: "When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sat for the Tashahhud, he would put his left hand on his left knee and his right hand on his right knee, form a zero shape, and point with his index finger." [Muslim] Also, Wā'il ibn Hujr said: "Then the Prophet sat and put his left leg under him, put his left hand on his left thigh and the edge of his right elbow on his right thigh. Then he held two of his fingers and made a circle, and I saw him make a circle with his thumb and middle finger, and point with his index finger" [Abu Dawūd]. One points with the index finger to indicate the Oneness of Allah, Most High, thereby demonstrating the belief and words with an action. Ibn ‘Umar said: "Indeed, (the index finger) is more painful to the devil than being beaten with an iron rod." [Ahmad]. Pointing with the index finger does not necessarily mean moving it. Finally, does covering one's knees with one's palm indicate either holding the knees or not? Ibn ‘Umar said: "When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sat in prayer, he put his two hands on his two knees...and his left hand stretched over his knee." So these are two options that conform with the Sunnah and it is recommend to observe them alternately.

Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he used to see the whiteness of the Prophet's (ﷺ) cheeks because of how much he would turn his head when making the first Taslīm to his right and the second to his left.

The Commander of the Believers ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās (may Allah be pleased with him) as the governor of Kufa, but its people complained to ‘Umar about Sa‘d. They lodged many complaints against Sa‘d and even alleged that Sa‘d did not know how to perform the prayers properly, despite the fact that he was a revered Companion of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and one of the ten who were promised Paradise. Accordingly, ‘Umar sent for Sa‘d and told him that the people of Kufa filed many complaints against him and that they even claimed that he did not pray properly. Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) replied that he used to perform the prayer with them exactly as he learnt it from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) i.e. prolonging the first two Rak‘ahs of the ‘Ishā' prayer and shortening the last two. He mentioned the ‘Ishā' prayer, most likely because it was specifically mentioned by the complainers. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) commended Sa‘d and praised him saying: "That is what I thought of you, O Abu Is'hāq.” In other words ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) confirmed that Sa‘d was trustworthy, and that he was sure that he used to lead the people in prayer and perform it exactly as the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). Nevertheless, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) investigated the issue by sending men to the people of Kufa in order to inquire about Sa‘d and how he used to carry out his duties, because he knew well that he was responsible as a ruler of all Muslims. Those men went there and did not leave any mosque without asking about Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him). All the people praised him till they came to the mosque of the tribe of Banu ‘Abs. When they asked the people there, a man stood up and said: "Since you asked; I am bound to tell you that Sa‘d never personally marched in Jihad, nor did he ever divide the spoils of war fairly, nor was he ever fair in judging between people!" The man made three serious accusations against Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) who decided to make three invocations against that man. He asked Allah, the Exalted, to prolong the life of that man, make him poverty stricken throughout the course of his life, and afflict him with trials. Nevertheless, before making these invocations, Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “If this slave of Yours is a liar and got up for showing off and speaking boastfully.” Allah, the Exalted, answered the supplication and that man lived long until his eyebrows became shaggy and fell over his eyelids, because of old age, and suffered poverty as well as trials. Despite his old age, he used to wink at the young girls as they pass by in the roads. This man also used to tell people that he was an old man subjected to trials because of Sa‘d’s invocation.

In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) informs us that when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) lifted his head from bowing in the final Rak‘ah of the Fajr prayer and after saying: "Allah hears those who praise Him," he made a strong invocation against some leaders of the polytheists who caused him harm on the Day of Uhud, and he would perhaps mention them by name, and invoke Allah's curse upon them by their names. So Allah sent down a verse upon him that included reproach and forbade him from doing that: {Not for you (O Muhammad) is the decision} [Sūrat āl-‘Imrān: 128]. That was due to Allah's prior knowledge that they would accept Islam and become good Muslims afterwards.

This Hadīth mentions how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate for some of his Companions that they would be saved from torture. They were prisoners with the disbelievers in Makkah. ʿAyyāsh ibn Rabīʿah was a maternal brother of Abu Jahl, who detained him in Makkah. Salamah ibn Hishām was also a brother of Abu Jahl. He reverted to Islam at an early stage. He was, therefore, persecuted and prevented from migrating. Al-Walīd ibn al-Walīd was the brother of Khālid ibn al-Walīd. He was imprisoned in Makkah, but managed to escape. Then the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) invoked Allah to send severe punishment on the Makkan disbelievers, who were from the tribe of Mudar. He supplicated Allah to afflict them with a great famine that would last seven years or more, like the famine that occurred at the time of Yūsuf (peace be upon him). “Being hard” could mean “treading on with the feet.” That could be an attribute of Allah, as this Hadīth suggests. However, we have not found any scholar or any of the righteous predecessors who considered this interpretation to be an attribute of Allah. So in this Hadīth, "being hard" effectively means severe punishment. It is ascribed to Allah, because it is His action and predetermination. The statement about Ghifār has two possible meanings. It could be a supplication of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for Ghifār so that Allah would forgive them, or he was just saying that Allah has already forgiven them. Similarly for Aslam, it is possible that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was praying for their peacefulness, thereby not indicating a possible war with them. Otherwise, he was telling that Allah has had peace on them and thus has forbidden fighting them. These two tribes were specifically mentioned, because the tribe of Ghifār accepted Islam very early, and the tribe of Aslam had peace with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Ibn Abu Az-Zinād, reporting from his father, said that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made that supplication during the Fajr Prayer.

In this great Hadīth, ‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) described how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray, in order to disseminate the Sunnah and convey the knowledge. The Prophet used to open the prayer with Takbīr of Ihrām; He would start the recitation with the opening chapter of the Qur'an (Sūrat al-Fātihah), which starts with: "All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds." When he bowed from the standing position, he would neither raise nor lower his head, but he would keep it in line with his back. When he rose from bowing, he would stand upright before prostrating. When he lifted his head from prostration, he would not prostrate (again) until he had sat upright. When sitting after every two units, he would say the Tashahhud: "Salutations, prayers, and all good things are for Allah". When he sat, he would spread his left foot out and sit on it and raise his right foot. He used to forbid sitting in the manner of the devil, meaning: resting two feet on the ground with the backs of the feet on the ground and sitting on the buttocks or raising both feet and placing the buttocks between them on the ground. Likewise he forbade resting the forearms on the ground while prostrating, as lions do. Just as he opened the prayer with the Takbīr, he ended it with the Taslīm; the greeting of peace for everyone: the angels, worshipers, and the rest of Allah's servants. So every Muslim who prays should take note of these generalities in his supplications.

Mālik ibn al-Huwayrith informs us that when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made Takbīr, he would raise his hands up to the level of his ears, i.e. when he made the opening Takbīr, he would raise his hands until they were on the same level with his ears. Another narration reads: “up to the level of the highest part of his ears." The Hadīth of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reads: "He used to raise his hands up to the level of his shoulders." These are three narrations: 1. He raised his hands until they were on the same level with his ears. 2. He raised his hands until they were on the same level with the highest part of his ears. 3. He raised his hands until they were on the same level with his shoulders. One is free to choose one of these options, or he may raise his hands up to the level of his shoulders, such that the tips of his fingers are on the same level with the highest part of his ears, his thumbs with his earlobes, and his palms with his shoulders. "When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made Takbīr, he would raise his hands," i.e. he would raise them while saying "Allah is the Greatest". One of Muslim’s narrations reads: "He raised his hands then said 'Allah is the Greatest,'" i.e. he made Takbīr after raising his hands. In another narration: "He said 'Allah is the Greatest' then raised his hands." These are three manners of raising the hands at the opening Takbīr. This act of Sunnah was reported to be done in various ways, so one should apply all of them in compliance with the Sunnah. "When he bowed, he would raise his hands up to the level of his ears," i.e. as he began to bow, he raised his hand until they were on the same level with his ears, and this is the second position in which it is recommended to raise the hands. "When he raised his head from bowing and said: 'Allah hears those who praise Him,'" i.e. when he began to raise his head from bowing, he would say "Allah hears those who praise Him," and this Dhikr is one of the duties of the prayer. "He would do the same," i.e. the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would do the same as he did when he said “Allah is the Greatest”: raised his hands until they were on the same level with his ears, and this is the third position in which it is recommended to raise the hands in prayer. These are three positions in which it is recommended to raise the hands in prayer, and the fourth is to raise the hands when standing after saying the first Tashahhud in the three-Rak‘ah and four-Rak‘ah prayers.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) entered the mosque, and a man entered after him and prayed two quick Rak‘ahs (units of prayer) without being calm in his standing, bowing, and prostration. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was observing him as he prayed. The man then went over to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) who was sitting in a corner of the mosque, and greeted him. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) returned his greeting and said to him: Go back and repeat your prayer for you have not prayed. He went back and prayed quickly as he did before, then he came and greeted the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who said to him: Go back and pray for you have not prayed. He did this three times. The man then said: By the One Who sent you with the truth, I cannot do better than that. So teach me. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: When you stand for prayer, say the opening Takbīr, then recite the Opening of the Qur’an (Surat al-Fātihah) and whatever else Allah wills for you to recite. Then bow down until you are at ease in your bowing, placing your palms on your knees and straightening your back, allowing your body to settle into the bowing position. After that, rise up and stand upright until your bones return to their joints and you stand straight. Then prostrate until you are at ease in your prostration, by ensuring that your forehead, nose, palms, knees, and the tips of your toes are on the ground. After that, raise yourself until you are at ease sitting between the two prostrations. Do this in every Rak‘ah of your prayer.