The Imam narrated from his respected teacher, Muhammad bin Isa, with his chain of transmission from Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him), a narration similar to the one mentioned above.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lifted the curtain of his blessed chamber and saw the noble companions standing and performing prayer behind Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Allah, have I conveyed (the religion)? Indeed, from the glad tidings of prophethood, only righteous dreams remain, which a Muslim sees for himself or are shown to him (about others). And indeed, I have been forbidden from reciting (Qur’an) in the state of bowing and prostration, so in bowing, glorify the greatness of your Lord, and in prostration, make abundant supplication, for it is more likely that your supplications will be accepted. Abu Asim narrated these words once:“The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lifted the curtain while the companions were standing and performing prayer behind Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him).”The narration of Ismail and Ibn Uyaynah is not complete with only these words; I have narrated it briefly.

Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that I prayed one night with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and his bowing (ruku‘) was as long as his standing (qiyam). In his bowing, he used to recite this tasbih «‏‏‏‏سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي الْعَظِيمِ» ‏‏‏‏ "My Lord, the Most Great, is free from imperfection." Janab Salm narrated from A‘mash with ‘an. The Imam narrated from his esteemed teacher Janab Abu Musa and from the chain of Ya‘qub bin Ibrahim, from A‘mash, that I prayed one night with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and in his bowing he used to recite «‏‏‏‏سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي الْعَظِيمِ» ‏‏‏‏.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite «‏‏‏‏سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي الْعَظِيمِ» ‏‏‏‏ three times in his bowing (ruku‘).

Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would often recite this supplication in his bowing and prostrations: «‏‏‏‏سُبْحَانَكَ اللّٰهُمَّ رَبَّنَا وَبِحَمْدِكَ اللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْلِيْ» ‏‏‏‏ "O Allah, O our Lord, You are pure and holy with Your praise. O Allah, forgive me." (In this way) the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would interpret the Qur'an. The Imam narrates this tradition from his respected teacher, Janab Salm bin Junadah, and stated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would frequently recite this supplication, «‏‏‏‏سُبْحَانَكَ اللّٰهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ» ‏‏‏‏.

Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite this supplication in his bowing: «‏‏‏‏سبُّوحٌ قُدُّوسٌ رَبُّ المَلاَئِكَةِ وَالرُّوحِ» ‏‏‏‏ "(Our Lord) is free from all defects and exalted, He is holy and most high, the Lord of the angels and Gabriel." Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says that regarding the supplications recited in bowing, this difference is of the permissible type. Therefore, it is permissible for the one praying to recite in his bowing any supplication about which it is narrated that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite it in his bowing.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would perform ruku‘, he would recite this supplication, «‏‏‏‏اللَّهُمَّ لَکَ رَکَعْتُ وَبِکَ آمَنْتُ وَلَکَ أَسْلَمْتُ خَشَعَ لَکَ سَمْعِي وَبَصَرِي وَمُخِّي وَعِظَامِي وَعَصَبِي وَمَاسْتَقَلّتْ بِهٖ قَدَمَيَّ لِلّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْن» ‏‏‏‏“O Allah, I have bowed for You, and I have believed in You, and I have submitted to You. You alone are my Lord. My ears, my eyes, my mind, my bones, my nerves, and whatever my feet have carried are all humbled for Allah.”Imam Abu Bakr says that the narration of Masruq from Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) is also regarding this issue. Similarly, the narration of Mutarrif from Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) is also present, and Ibrahim bin Abdullah bin Ma‘bad bin Abbas narrates from his father, and he from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), in which these words are mentioned: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“Make supplication earnestly in prostration.”From this, it is proven that it is permissible for one who is performing obligatory prayer to supplicate in his prostrations and to strive and exert effort in supplication, even if those supplications are not found in the Noble Qur’an. Because when the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) addressed the Companions and commanded them regarding this, they were performing obligatory prayer behind Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him); it was not a voluntary prayer. And in the narration of Ibn Abi Zinad, which he relates with his chain from Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), it is mentioned that when the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would stand for obligatory prayer, he would say «‏‏‏‏اللهُ أَكْبَرُ» ‏‏‏‏, then raise both his hands, then recite this supplication, «‏‏‏‏وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِيْ فَطَرَالسَّمٰوٰتِ وَالْاَرْضَ» ‏‏‏‏“I have turned my face towards the One who created the heavens and the earth.”Then he mentioned the complete supplication. From this, it became clear and established that this supplication is permissible in obligatory prayer, even if the supplication is not found in the Noble Qur’an. Contrary to the assumption of the one who says that if a person supplicates in obligatory prayer with a supplication not found in the Noble Qur’an, his prayer becomes invalid. To the extent that this person claimed that if someone recites «‏‏‏‏لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَٰهِ» ‏‏‏‏ in obligatory prayer, his prayer becomes invalid, and his claim is because the words of «‏‏‏‏لَاحَوْلَ» ‏‏‏‏ are not found in the Noble Qur’an. He assumes that if the worshipper only recites «‏‏‏‏لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَٰهِ» ‏‏‏‏, then it is permissible because these words are found in the Noble Qur’an. This person will be answered that these words which we have mentioned, that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite them at the beginning of prayer and in ruku‘, and those words which, soon by the will and intention of Allah, we will mention, are recited when rising from ruku‘, in prostrations, between the two prostrations, and after completing the tashahhud before the salam. And the Noble Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) command to the worshipper that he may supplicate with whatever supplication he wishes after tashahhud—where in the Noble Qur’an are all these supplications? Certainly, the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated at the beginning of prayer, in ruku‘, after rising from ruku‘, in prostrations, and between the prostrations with such words that are not found in the Noble Qur’an. All these evidences are clear texts against the claim of the one who says that the prayer of one who supplicates with non-Qur’anic supplications becomes invalid.

Sayyiduna Abbas bin Sahl Sa’idi narrates that some Ansari people gathered, among them Sayyiduna Sahl bin Sa’d Sa’idi mentioned the prayer of Abu Humayd. Sayyiduna Abu Humayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said,“Allow me to describe (the prayer of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him) to you, because I know it better than you.”They said,“(If that is the case) then describe it.”He said,“I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) perform the best ablution. Then he entered the prayer and, saying «‏‏‏‏اللهُ أَكْبَرُ» ‏‏‏‏, raised both his hands up to his shoulders. Then when he bowed (ruku’), he placed both his hands on his knees as if he was grasping them. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) neither raised his head too high nor lowered it too much, and he kept his arms away from his sides. Then when he raised his head, he stood up completely straight until his bones returned to their places. Then he narrated the rest of the hadith. All the people said that the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was like this.”

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that indeed, just as I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) performing prayer, I do not fall short in leading you (in prayer) in the same manner. Sayyiduna Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the actions which Sayyiduna Anas used to do (during prayer), I do not see you performing those actions. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would raise his head from bowing (ruku‘), he would stand straight for so long that we (in our hearts) would think that he had forgotten.

Sayyiduna Bara’ bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to make his bowing (ruku‘), standing after bowing (qiyam), prostration (sajdah), and sitting between the two prostrations almost equal in duration. This is the narration of Waki‘. The Imam has narrated from his respected teacher Ahmad bin Al-Muqaddam, from Sayyiduna Bara’ bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to make his bowing, standing after bowing, prostration, and sitting between the two prostrations almost equal in duration.