Sayyiduna Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) says: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would raise his head from bowing (ruku‘), none of us would bend his back for prostration (sajdah) until the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had gone into prostration; then we would prostrate.

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a man prayed behind the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he used to bow (ruku') before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and would rise before him as well. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) completed the prayer, he said: Who was the one doing this? He said: O Messenger of Allah! It was me, I wanted to know whether you would notice or not. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Protect your prayer from harm; when the Imam bows, then you should bow, and when he raises his head, then you should raise your head.

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that one day, after finishing the prayer, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) turned towards us and said: O people! Indeed, I am your Imam, so do not go ahead of me in bowing, prostration, standing, sitting, or in saying the salam. I see you from in front of me and from behind me. By the One in Whose hand is my soul! If you were to see what I have seen, you would laugh little and weep much. They said: O Messenger of Allah! What have you seen? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: I have seen Paradise and Hell. In another narration, it is mentioned: And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged them to perform prayer.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that Abul Qasim, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), said: Does the person who raises his head while the Imam is in the state of prostration not fear that Allah Almighty may transform his head into the head of a donkey?

(Second chain) The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Whoever prays with the imam, but raises his head before him, is he not afraid that Allah, the Exalted, may transform his face into the face of a donkey?

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do not precede me in bowing (ruku‘) and prostration (sujud). If I precede you in bowing, you will catch up with me when I rise; similarly, if I precede you in prostration, you will catch up with me when I rise. Indeed, now I have become old.

Abdullah bin Yazid Ansari said in his sermon: Sayyiduna Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) informed us, and he is not a liar (i.e., he is truthful), that indeed when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would raise his head from bowing (ruku‘), they (all the companions) would remain standing until he (peace and blessings be upon him) prostrated, then they would go into prostration.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) would first perform the 'Isha prayer with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), then he would go to his people and lead them in the 'Isha prayer.

Sayyiduna Imran bin Husain رضي الله عنه says: I was with the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم at the time of the conquest of Makkah. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم stayed in Makkah for eighteen days. During this time, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم continued to perform two rak‘ahs (i.e., shortened prayer), and he would say to the people of the city (the residents): You should perform four rak‘ahs, because we are travelers.

Sayyiduna Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) says: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent me in the year of Dhat al-Salasil, on a very cold night I had a wet dream. I feared that if I performed ghusl (ritual bath), I would die, so I performed tayammum and led my companions in the Fajr prayer. When we came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), I informed him of this matter. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Amr! Did you lead your companions in prayer while you were in a state of janabah (major ritual impurity)? I said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah! I had a wet dream and it was a very cold night. I feared that if I performed ghusl, I would die, and I also remembered Allah Almighty’s statement:“Do not kill yourselves; indeed, Allah is ever Merciful to you.”So I performed tayammum and led them in prayer. Upon hearing this, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) smiled and said nothing.