Muhammad bin Ata says: Sayyiduna Abu Humayd Sa’idi (may Allah be pleased with him) was among the ten companions of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and among them was Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah bin Rabi’i (may Allah be pleased with him). 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. But they said: You are neither older in companionship than us nor do you follow him more than we do. So he said: Why not, (what you say is correct). In any case, they said: Alright, describe it. Sayyiduna Abu Humayd Sa’idi (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When he (peace and blessings be upon him) would stand, he would stand straight and raise his hands until he made them level with his shoulders. Then, when he intended to bow (ruku’), he would raise his hands until they were level with his shoulders, then say Allahu Akbar and bow, and in bowing he would be even, neither lowering his head too much nor raising it too high, and he would place his hands on his knees. Then, saying“Sami’ Allahu liman hamidah,”he would rise and stand straight until every bone returned to its place. Then he would go down for prostration (sajdah) saying Allahu Akbar, and he would keep his arms away from his stomach and spread them, and turn the toes of his feet (towards the qiblah). Then (after rising from prostration) he would fold his left foot and sit on it and be straight until every bone settled in its place. Then he would go down for prostration saying Allahu Akbar, then fold his foot and sit on it until every limb returned to its place. Then when he stood up, he would do the same in the second rak’ah. When, after two rak’ahs, he stood up, he would say Allahu Akbar and raise his hands and make them level with his shoulders as he did at the beginning of the prayer. Then he would do the same until, when it was the last rak’ah in which the prayer ended, he would take out his left foot (from underneath to the right side) and sit in the posture of tawarruk on his buttocks, then he would say the salam.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man entered the mosque and performed prayer, then he came to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and greeted him with salam. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied to the salam and said: Go back and perform the prayer again, for you have not performed the prayer. He went back and did the same thing three times. Finally, he said: By the One Who has sent you with the truth! I cannot perform it better than this, so please teach me. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When you stand for prayer, say Allahu Akbar, then recite from the Qur’an whatever is easy for you, then bow (ruku‘) until you are at ease in the bowing position, then prostrate (sujud) until you are at ease in the prostration, when you rise from ruku‘, stand straight until you are standing upright, then prostrate until you are at ease in the prostration, then rise from prostration and sit until you are at ease in the sitting position, then do this throughout your entire prayer.

The companion of the Messenger, Sayyiduna Rifa’ah bin Rafi’ al-Zuraqi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a man came while the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting in the mosque. He prayed near him, and then went towards the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Pray again, for you have not performed the prayer. He went back, but after praying in the same manner as before, he returned to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) again said: Pray again, for you have not prayed. He said: O Messenger of Allah! Then teach me how I should pray. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When you stand facing the Qiblah, say Allahu Akbar, then recite Surah al-Fatihah, and after that, recite as much of the Qur’an as you wish. When you bow (in ruku’), place your palms on your knees, straighten your back, and be fully at ease in your ruku’. When you raise your head, straighten your back until the bones return to their joints. When you prostrate, prostrate with complete calmness, then when you raise your head, sit on your left thigh. Then perform ruku’ and sujud in this manner.

(Second chain) He says: We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in the mosque when a man entered and prayed in a corner of the mosque while the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was watching him. When he came and greeted (with salam), the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, returned his greeting and said: Go back and pray, for you have not prayed. He said this two or three times. Finally, on the third or fourth time, the man said to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: By Him Who has sent you with the truth! I have tried my best according to my ability, so please teach me yourself and show me how I should pray. Upon this, the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him: When you intend to pray, perform ablution well, then face the qiblah and say Allahu Akbar, then recite (Qur'an), then bow (ruku') until you are at ease in the bowing position, then stand up until you are at ease in the standing position (qawmah), then prostrate until you are at ease in the prostration position (sajdah), then rise until you are at ease in the sitting position (jalsah), then stand up (and continue your prayer). When you have completed your prayer in this manner, it means you have completed it, and whatever you leave out from these matters, in reality, you have left something out from your prayer.

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The key to prayer is ablution, its sanctification is saying Allahu Akbar, and its conclusion is the greeting of peace. And in another narration, the words are: The key to prayer is ablution, its sanctification is saying Allahu Akbar, and its conclusion is turning for the greeting of peace.

Sayyiduna Fadl bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Prayer is in sets of two rak‘ahs; in every two rak‘ahs, recite the tashahhud, show humility, adopt submissiveness, and express poverty. Then raise your hands towards your Lord, with the inner part of your palms facing your face, and say: O my Lord! O my Lord! Whoever does not do so, he... (Then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said something severe about him.)

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Do you think my qiblah is here (in front of me)? (Remember that) nothing of your humility and bowing is hidden from me.

(Second chain) The Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Indeed, I see your humility.

Mutarrif narrates from his father, and he says: I came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, while he was praying, and from his chest there was a sound like the boiling of a pot.

(Second chain of narration) He says: I saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and due to his weeping, a sound like that of a boiling pot was coming from his chest.