Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates that he saw the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). When he began the prayer, he would raise both hands up to the shoulders, and similarly when he bowed (for ruku‘) and when he raised his head from ruku‘ (he would perform raf‘ al-yadayn), and he would not perform raf‘ al-yadayn between the two prostrations.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would stand for prayer, he would raise both hands; when his hands reached the level of his shoulders, he would say Allahu Akbar. Then, when he was about to go into bowing (ruku‘), he would raise them, and when they reached the level of his shoulders, he would say Allahu Akbar in that state. After bowing, when he would begin to raise his back, he would raise his hands to the level of his shoulders, then say «سمع الله لمن حمده» , then perform prostration (sajdah), but in prostrations, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would not raise his hands. He would raise his hands at every takbeer before every rak‘ah and bowing, until his prayer was completed.

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would begin the prayer, he would say: «الله اكبر» Then he would recite this supplication: «وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ، إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ المُسْلِمِينَ، اللهُمَّ أَنْتَ الْمَلِكُ لَا إِلهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ رَبِّي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي وَاعْتَرَفْتُ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي ذُنُوبِي جَمِيعًا لَّا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ وَاهْدِنِي لِأَحْسَنِ الأَخْلَاقِ لَا يَهْدِي لِأَحْسَنِهَا إِلَّا أَنْتَ وَاصْرِفْ عَنِّي سَيِّئَهَا لَا يَصْرِفُ سَيِّئَهَا إِلَّا أَنْتَ لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ وَالخَيْرُ كُلُّهُ فِي يَدَيْكَ وَالشَّرُّ لَيْسَ إِلَيْكَ أَنَا بِكَ وَإِلَيْكَ تَبَارَكْتَ وَتَعَالَيتَ أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ» I have turned my face with single-minded devotion towards the One who created the heavens and the earth, and I am not among the polytheists. My prayer, my sacrifice, my life, and my death are for Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. He has no partner, and I have been commanded this, and I am the first to submit. O Allah! You are the King, there is no true deity except You, You are my Lord and I am Your servant. I have wronged myself and I confess my sins, so forgive all my sins, for none forgives sins except You. Guide me to the best of character, for none guides to the best of character except You. Remove bad character from me, for none can remove bad character from me except You. I am present, I am present, all goodness is in Your hands, evil is not attributed to You, I am with You and towards You, You are blessed and exalted, I seek Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance. When he would go into bowing (ruku‘), he would recite this supplication: «اللهم لَكَ رَكَعْتُ وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ وَلَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ خَشَعَ لَكَ سَمْعِي وَبَصَرِي وَمُخِي وَعِظَامِي وَعَصَبِي» O Allah! I have bowed for You alone, I have believed in You alone, I have submitted to You alone, my ears, my eyes, my brain, my bones, and my tendons are humbled before You alone. When he would raise his head from bowing, he would recite this supplication: «سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ مِلْءَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمِلْءَ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ بَعْدُ» Allah has heard the one who praises Him. O our Lord! For You is such praise that fills the heavens and the earth and whatever else You will after them. When he would prostrate, he would recite this supplication: «اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ سَجَدْتُ وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ وَلَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ سَجَدَ وَجْهِي لِلَّذِي خَلْقَهُ وَصَوَّرَهُ فَأَحْسَنَ صُوَرَهُ وَشَقَّ سَمْعَهُ وَبَصَرَهُ فَتَبَارَكَ اللهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ» O Allah! I have prostrated for You alone, I have believed in You alone, I have submitted to You alone, my face has prostrated to the One who created it, shaped it beautifully, and made its hearing and sight. Blessed is Allah, the best of creators. When he would finish the prayer and say salam, he would recite this supplication: «اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَفْتُ وَمَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَالْمُوَخِّرُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ» O Allah! Forgive what I have done before and what I will do later, what I have done secretly and what I have done openly, what I have transgressed, and what You know better than I do. You are the First and the Last, there is no deity worthy of worship except You. Abu Salih narrated at all places as follows: «لَّا إِلهَ لِي إِلَّا أَنْتَ» There is no deity for me except You.

Sayyiduna Jubair bin Mut’im (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would enter the prayer, he would recite three times: «اللهُ أَكْبَرُ كَبِيرًا وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ كَثِيرًا» Allah is the Greatest. For Him is abundant praise. And «وَسُبْحَانَ اللهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَان الرَّحِيمِ مِنْ نَفْخِهِ وَنَفْيْهِ وَهَمْزِهِ» I declare the purity of Allah morning and evening, I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan, from his blowing, his spitting, and his madness. Amr says:“Nafkh”means arrogance,“Hamz”means death, and“Nafth”means poetry. Those who narrated from Husayn have differed regarding the name of“Asim Anazi.”Some said Amr bin Murrah, some said Ammar bin Asim, some said Ammarah, and Ibn Idris said: Amr, and from Ubad bin Asim.

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that I offered prayer behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, Sayyiduna Umar, and Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them), and they did not recite «بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم» aloud.

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to begin recitation from «الحمد لله رب العالمين» .

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that I prayed behind the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, Sayyiduna Umar, and Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them), and I heard them reciting «بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم» aloud. Imam Shu’bah (may Allah have mercy on him) says: I asked Imam Qatadah (may Allah have mercy on him): Did you yourself hear (this from Sayyiduna Anas, may Allah be pleased with him)? He replied: Yes!

Naeem Mujmir (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that I prayed behind Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), so he recited «بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم» and then recited Surah Al-Fatihah. When he reached «ولا الضالين» , he said "Ameen," and the people also said Ameen. When he would go into prostration or rise from sitting, he would say «الله اكبر» . After concluding the prayer with salam, he said: By Him in Whose hand is my soul! My prayer is more similar to the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) than any of yours.

Sayyiduna Ubadah bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The prayer of that person is not valid who does not recite Surah Al-Fatihah.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed him: Announce among the people of Madinah that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has said: There is no prayer without reciting Surah Al-Fatihah and something additional. Abu Muhammad says that he is a student of Ja’far Thawri and Isa bin Yunus.