Hazrat Tawoos (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that we asked Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) about sitting on both feet in the position of Iq’aa. He replied that this is Sunnah. We said that we consider it to be cruelty to the feet. He replied that rather, this is the Sunnah of your Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

Hazrat Ibn Ishaq (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Abbas bin Sahl told me about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). When Abbas bin Sahl bin Sa’d bin Malik bin Sa’id performed prostration (i.e., offered prayer), he said: At the time of Duha, I was sitting in the market of Madinah Munawwarah with Hazrat Abu Usaid Malik bin Rabi’ah and with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) were Hazrat Abu Humayd, and both of them were from the Sa’idah tribe, and Hazrat Abu Qatadah Harith bin Rabi’i was also sitting with us. Then one of them said to the other, and I was listening,“I know the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) better than both of you.”Each one was saying the same to his companion. So they said to one of their companions,“Stand up and lead us in prayer so that we may see whether you perform the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) correctly or not.”So one of them stood up, faced the Qiblah, and said «‏‏‏‏اللهُ أَكْبَرُ» ‏‏‏‏, then recited a portion of the Noble Qur’an, then bowed (ruku’) and firmly placed his hands on his knees until his bones became still. Then when he raised his head from ruku’, he stood up straight until every bone returned to its place. Then he said «‏‏‏‏سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ» ‏‏‏‏, then he prostrated, placing his forehead, both palms, both knees, and the front parts of both feet on the ground. He kept his arms away from his sides until I saw the whiteness of his armpits beneath his shoulders. Then he performed the prostration calmly until every bone was at ease. Then he raised his head and sat straight on his heels and the toes of his feet until every bone returned to its place. Then he did the same again, then stood up and performed the second rak’ah in the same way, then ended the prayer with salam. Then he turned towards his two companions and said,“What do you think?”They both said,“You have performed the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) correctly. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to pray like this.”

Hazrat Thabit Al-Banani (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Hazrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said to us: "I will not show any negligence or shortcoming in leading you in prayer as I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) leading us in prayer." Thabit says that Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) used to do something in the prayer which I do not see you doing. When he would raise his head from prostration, he would sit between the two prostrations for such a long time that someone might say: "Surely, he has forgotten."

Sayyiduna Bara’ bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the prostration of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), his bowing, and his sitting between the two prostrations were approximately equal in duration.

Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that one night the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up and began to pray. I came and stood by his side. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) started «‏‏‏‏سورۃ البقره» ‏‏‏‏, so I said to myself (in my heart) that he will recite one hundred verses, but he went further. Then I thought he would recite two hundred verses, but he went even further. Then I said he will complete the surah, so he completed the surah and then started «‏‏‏‏سورۃ النساء» ‏‏‏‏ and completed that as well. Then he recited «‏‏‏‏سورۃ آل عمران» ‏‏‏‏, then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) performed ruku‘ (bowing) which was as long as his recitation. Then when he raised his head from ruku‘, he said «‏‏‏‏سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ، رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الحَمْدُ» ‏‏‏‏“Allah has heard the one who praises Him. O our Lord, to You belongs all praise.”(Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, stood up) for about the same duration as the ruku‘, then after rising from ruku‘, he performed sujud (prostration) for about the same duration as the standing, then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his head and recited this supplication: «‏‏‏‏رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي» ‏‏‏‏“O my Lord, forgive me,”and supplicated for about the same duration as the sujud. Then he performed the second sujud for about the same duration as the sitting between the two prostrations, then stood up for the second rak‘ah. A‘mash says that whenever the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) recited a verse of warning, he would seek refuge with Allah, and when he recited a verse of mercy, he would ask Allah for His mercy, and when he recited a verse of glorification, he would declare the glory of Allah.

Hazrat Muhammad bin Ata narrates from Sayyiduna Abu Humayd Sa’idi (may Allah be pleased with him) that I heard him saying in the presence of ten companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), among whom was also Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him). He said that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood for prayer, he would stand completely straight. Then he mentioned the rest of the hadith, saying that then he (peace and blessings be upon him) bent towards the ground for prostration, then said «‏‏‏‏اللهُ أَكْبَرُ» ‏‏‏‏, then he kept his arms away from his sides and spread his toes, then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) folded his left foot and sat on it and sat with calmness until every bone returned to its place, then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) bent for the (second) prostration and said «‏‏‏‏اللهُ أَكْبَرُ» ‏‏‏‏, then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) folded his foot and sat with moderation until every bone returned to its place, then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Malik bin Huwairith (may Allah be pleased with him) that he saw the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) performing prayer, and when he (peace be upon him) was in the odd (witr) rak‘ah of his prayer, he would not stand up until he had sat straight.

Hazrat Abu Qalabah (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Sayyiduna Malik bin Huwairith (may Allah be pleased with him) was sitting among us, so he said, "Shall I not describe to you the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)?" Accordingly, he performed the prayer (and showed us) without it being the time for prayer. Then, when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) raised his head from the second prostration of the first rak'ah, he sat up straight, then he stood up and supported himself on the ground with his hands. Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says, "I have mentioned the narration of Ayyub from Abu Qalabah in Kitab al-Kabir."

Hazrat Naeem al-Mujammir narrates that I prayed behind Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), so he recited «‏‏‏‏بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ» ‏‏‏‏, then recited Umm al-Qur’an until he reached «‏‏‏‏وَلَاالضَّالِیّنَ» ‏‏‏‏, then said Ameen, so the followers also said Ameen. Then when he bowed for ruku‘, he said «‏‏‏‏اللهُ أَكْبَرُ» ‏‏‏‏, then when he raised his head, he said «‏‏‏‏سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ» ‏‏‏‏, then said «‏‏‏‏اللهُ أَكْبَرُ» ‏‏‏‏, then when he raised his head from sajdah, he said «‏‏‏‏اللهُ أَكْبَرُ» ‏‏‏‏, then when he performed the second sajdah, he said «‏‏‏‏اللهُ أَكْبَرُ» ‏‏‏‏, then while saying «‏‏‏‏اللهُ أَكْبَرُ» ‏‏‏‏ he stood facing the qiblah (for the second rak‘ah). Then when he stood up after two rak‘ahs, he said «‏‏‏‏اللهُ أَكْبَرُ» ‏‏‏‏, then when he finished with salam, he said,“By Him in Whose hand is my soul, surely I am the most similar among you to the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).”

Hazrat Abbas bin Sahl al-Sa'idi narrates that Sayyiduna Abu Humayd Sa'idi, Abu Usaid Sa'idi, Sahl bin Sa'd, and Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with them) gathered together, so Sayyiduna Abu Humayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I know the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) better than all of you." Then he narrated a long hadith, and said that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sat, he spread his left foot and directed the underside of his right foot towards the Qiblah, and placed his right hand on his right knee and his left hand on his left knee, and pointed with his index finger.