It is narrated from Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to sit for Tashahhud in every two rak'ahs, and he (peace be upon him) would spread his right leg under his left leg.

Muhammad bin Ata narrates from Sayyiduna Abu Humayd Sa’idi (may Allah be pleased with him), who says that I heard him say in the presence of ten companions, among whom was Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him). He said that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was in the rak’ah in which the prayer was completed, he would draw his left leg (left foot) back and sit in tawarruk on his side, then would say the salam. In the narration of Abu Asim, the words are that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) drew his left foot back and, sitting in tawarruk, sat on his left side. In the narration of Muhammad bin Amr bin Halhalah from Sayyiduna Muhammad bin Amr bin Ata, the words are:“Then when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sat in the fourth rak’ah, he extended both his feet outward and sat on his buttocks.”And in the narration of Yazid bin Abi Habib and Yazid bin Muhammad, the words are:“When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sat in the last rak’ah, he extended his left foot outward, raised the other, and sat on his buttocks.”Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says: I have mentioned these ahadith in the chapter other than this one.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to sit on his left buttock at the end of his prayer.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught him to recite the Tashahhud in prayer. (Hazrat Aswad) says that we used to memorize it from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) just as we memorized the letters waw and alif of the Holy Qur'an. So when he would sit on his left buttock, he would recite: «‏‏‏‏التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلّٰہِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ ّٰاللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ َّاللهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلَّا َّاللهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ» ‏‏‏‏ "All verbal, physical, and financial acts of worship are for Allah. O Prophet, peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings descend upon you. Peace be upon us and upon all the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no true deity except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would supplicate for himself, then say the salam and complete the prayer.

Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when we used to sit with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in Tashahhud, we would say: "Peace be upon Allah from His servants, peace be upon so-and-so and so-and-so." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not say: 'Peace be upon Allah,' for Allah Himself is As-Salam (the Source of Peace). But when any one of you sits, let him say: «‏‏‏‏التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلّٰہِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ ّٰاللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ َّاللهِ الصَّالِحِينَ» ‏‏‏‏ 'All verbal, physical, and financial acts of worship are for Allah. O Prophet, peace be upon you, and the mercy and blessings of Allah. Peace be upon us and upon all the righteous servants of Allah.' For when you say these words, it will reach all the righteous servants of Allah in the heavens and the earth. «‏‏‏‏أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلَّا َّاللهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ» ‏‏‏‏ 'I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is His servant and Messenger.'" Then, whoever among you wishes to supplicate for something he likes, let him choose that supplication and ask with it. This is the narration of Bundar, while the narration of Ibn Fudayl, Abthar, and Ibn Idris ends at «‏‏‏‏وَرَسُولُهُ» ‏‏‏‏ "and His Messenger." They did not mention the words: "Then whoever among you wishes to choose a supplication he likes, let him do so."

Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding Tashahhud. The narration of A’mash is up to «‏‏‏‏وَرَسُولُهُ» ‏‏‏‏, and in the hadith of Mansur there is this addition:“Then he may supplicate for whatever prayer he wishes.”

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to teach us the Tashahhud with the same care as he used to teach us the Qur’an. He (peace be upon him) used to say (the words of Tashahhud as follows), «‏‏‏‏التَّحِيَّاتُ، الْمُبَارَکَاتُ الصَّلَوَاتُ لِلّٰہِ، سَلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، سَلاَمُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ َّاللهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلَّا َّاللهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ» ‏‏‏‏“All blessed verbal, physical, and financial acts of worship are for Allah. O Prophet, peace be upon you and the mercy and blessings of Allah. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah.”

Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Sunnah method is that you recite the Tashahhud in a low voice.

Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that this verse was revealed regarding Tashahhud, «‏‏‏‏وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا» ‏‏‏‏ [ سورة الإسراء ] "And do not recite your prayer loudly, nor in a very low voice."

Hazrat Azhar bin Ishaq narrates that he described to me about the Tashahhud of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in the middle and at the end of the prayer. Janab Abdur Rahman bin Al-Aswad bin Yazid Nakhai narrates from his father that he said: We used to memorize the words of Tashahhud from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) with the same care as we used to learn and memorize the words of the Holy Qur'an, when he told us that these words were taught to him by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) himself. He says that thus, when he (Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him) would sit on his left buttock in the middle and at the end of the prayer, he would recite these words, «التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلّٰہِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ ّٰاللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ َّاللهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلَّا َّاللهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ» "All verbal, physical, and financial worship is for Allah. O Prophet, peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His servant and Messenger." He says that then, if he was in the middle of the prayer, after finishing the Tashahhud, he would stand up, and if he was at the end of the prayer, after the Tashahhud, he would supplicate whatever Allah willed, then he would say the Salam. Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says that his statement, "and at the end of the prayer he would sit on his left buttock," means that he would sit like this at the end of the prayer, not during the middle (at the time of Tashahhud).