Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA): The Prophet ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) said: "When you get up to pray, perform ablution perfectly, then face the Qiblah and say: 'Allahu Akbar' (Allah is the Most Great). Then recite a convenient portion of the Qur'an; then bow and remain calmly in that position for a moment, then rise up and stand erect; then prostrate and remain calmly in that position for a moment, then rise up and sit calmly, then prostrate and remain calmly in that position for a moment; then do that throughout your prayer." [Reported by as-Sab'a and the wording is that of al-Bukhari] . The narration of Ibn Majah through a chain of Muslim has: "Then rise up and stand erect calmly." And in the narration of Ibn Hibban and Ahmad the Hadith of Rifa'a bin Rafi' bin Malik is similar to the above. And Ahmad has: "Keep your back straight till the bones return (to their positions)." And in the narration of an-Nasa'i and Abu Dawud from the Hadith of Rifa'a bin Rafi': "The Salat (prayer) of one of you will not be complete until he performs Wudu' (ablution) properly as Allah commanded him, then he says Allahu Akbar and Alhamdu lillah and praises Him." It is also mentionmed in the same Hadith, "If you know any portion of the Qur'an, read it or else say: Alhamdu lillah, Allahu Akbar and La ilaha ill-Allah." And Abu Dawud has "Then read the Ummul-Qur'an (i.e. Surah al-Fatiha) and what ever Allah wishes". Ibn Hibban also has: "and then (read) whatever you wish."

Narrated Abu Humaid As-Sa'idi (RA): "I saw Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) when he uttered the Takbir, he placed his hands parallel to his shoulders; and when he bowed down, he rested his hands on his knees, then bent his back. When he raised his head up, he stood erect until the bones of his spine became straight. When he prostrated, he placed his arms such that they were neither spread out nor drawn in, and the tips of his toes were facing the Qiblah; when he sat up, at the end of two Rak'a, he sat on his left foot and put erect the right one; and when he sat up after the last Rak'a he put forward the left foot, put erect the other one and sat on his buttock." [Reported by al-Bukhari] .

Narrated 'Ali bin Abi Talib (RA): Whenever Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) stood for Salat (prayer), he used to say: "I have turned my face (as a monotheist) towards Him who created the heavens and the earth and I am not from the polytheists. My prayer and my devotion, my life and my death belong to Allah, the Lord of the universe, Who has no partner. That is what I have been commanded, and I am a Muslim. O Allah, You are the King. There is nothing which deserves to be worshipped but You. You are my Rabb (Lord) and I am Your slave. I have wronged myself, but I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me all my sins, You alone can forgive sins; and guide me to the best qualities, You alone can guide to the best of them: and turn me from evil ones, You alone can turn from evil qualities. I come to serve and please You. All good is in Your Hands and evil does not pertain to You. I seek refuge in You and turn to You, You are the Blessed and the Exalted. I ask Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance." [Reported by Muslim] . And in another narration of Muslim: "he used to say that in the night prayer..."

Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA) Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) used to keep silent - between the opening Takbir of the prayer and the recitation of the Qur'an - for a short while. Then, I asked him (about that) and he replied, "I say, 'O Allah! Keep me apart from my sins (faults) as you have kept apart the east and west. O Allah clean me from my sins as a white garment is cleaned from dirt. O Allah wash me of my sins with water, snow and hail." [Agreed upon] .

Narrated 'Umar (RA): He ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) used to say, "How perfect You are O Allah, and Praise is for You, Blessed is Your Name and Exalted is Your Majesty and there is nothing which deserves to be worshipped besides You." [Reported by Muslim with a Munqati' (broken) chain. And in the version of ad-Daraqutni, it is Mawsul (unbroken chain), and it is Mawquf (saying of a companion ('Umar)] . Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (RA) narrated a similar report Marfu' [reaching back to the Prophet ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم )] collected by al-Khamsah. Containing the words: He ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) used to say after the (opening) Takbir (for prayer), "I seek refuge in Allah, the All-Hearing and the All-Knowing from the accursed devil, from his madness or evil suggestion (Hamz), from his puffing up (Nafkh), and from his witchcraft (Nafth)."

Narrated 'Aishah (RA) Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) used to begin the Salat (prayer) with Takbir (Allahu Akbar - Allah is the Most Great) and the recitation with Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil' alamin (praise is to Allah, the Rabb of the universe)." And when he bowed down, he neither kept his head up nor bent it down, but kept it between that (two positions). When he raised his head from the bowing position, he did not prostrate till he had stood erect; and when he raised his head after a prostration, he did not prostrate again till he had sat up. And at the end of every two Rak'ah he said the Tahiyyah, and he used to sit on his left foot and position he right one vertically, and he prohibited the devil's way of sitting on the buttocks. He forbade people to spread out their arms like a wild beast. And he used to finish the prayer with the Taslim (i.e. saying As-Salamu 'alaikum). [Reported by Muslim and it has an 'illa (defect)] .

Narrated Ibn 'Umar (RA): The Prophet ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) used to raise his hands parallel to his shoulders when he started the prayer (by saying Allahu Akbar), when he uttered the Takbir to bow and when he raised his head from the Ruku' (bowing posture). [Agreed upon] . Abu Dawud reported a Hadith narrated by Abu Humaid (RA) to the effect that he [Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم )] used to raise his hands and bring them parallel to his shoulders, and then utter the Takbir. Muslim has a Hadith narrated by Malik bin Huwairith ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) similar to the Hadith narrated by Ibn 'Umar (RA). But he (Malik bin Huwairith) mentioned: "He [the Prophet ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم )] raised his hands parallel to the end of his ears."

Narrated Wa'il bin Hujr (RA): I prayed with the Prophet ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) and he put his right hand on his left (and then placed them) on his chest. [Reported by Ibn Khuzaimah] .

Narrated 'Ubada bin As-Samit ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ): Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) said: "There is no Salat (prayer) for him who does not recite Ummul-Qur'an (Surat al-Fatiha)". (Agreed upon] . In the narration of Ibn Hibban and ad-Daraqutni is mentioned: "The Salat (prayer) is not complete if one does not recite (Surat) Fatiha al-Kitab."

Narrated Anas (RA): "The Prophet ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ), Abu Bakr and 'Umar used to begin the Salat (prayer) with Al-hamdu lillahi Rabbil-'alamin." [Agreed upon] . And Muslim added: "They would not recite Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim, neither in the beginning of the recitation nor at the end of it." In another narration from Ahmad, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Khuzaimah: "They never used to recite Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim aloud." And in another report from Ibn Khuzaimah: "They used to recite Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim silently." The negation (of recitation of the Bismillah) in the report of Muslim can be understood in light of this report (i.e. it was recited silently), as opposed to those who declared Muslim's report as being defective.