Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would stand up after performing two rak‘ahs, he would begin the recitation. He would not remain silent. (That is, he would not recite Thana before the recitation.)

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Sayyiduna Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him): The people of Kufa have complained about you in every matter, even regarding the prayer. So Sayyiduna Sa’d said: I make the first two rak’ahs long and the last two rak’ahs short, and I do not fall short in following the way of prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). So Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: This is what I thought of you.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Buhaina Asadi (may Allah be pleased with him), who was an ally of Banu Abdul Muttalib, narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up during the Zuhr prayer at the point when sitting was obligatory upon him. When he completed the prayer, before saying the salam, he performed two prostrations of forgetfulness while sitting. The people also performed two prostrations along with him. This was in place of the sitting which he had forgotten. (Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) The fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up at the place where he was supposed to sit for the first tashahhud, and the people stood up behind him at that time, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not object to their action, is a clear statement that the first sitting (tashahhud) in prayer is not obligatory.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Buhaina Asadi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up during the Zuhr prayer at the point when he was supposed to sit. When he completed the prayer, before saying the salam, he performed two prostrations while sitting. The people also performed these two prostrations. These were in place of the sitting that he had forgotten.

Abdur Rahman bin Shumasah narrates: Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) led us in prayer. He stood up at a point when it was obligatory for him to sit, so the people behind him said "Subhan Allah," but he did not sit down. When he finished the prayer, during his sitting, he performed two prostrations (after completing the prayer). He said: I heard you saying "Subhan Allah," but this (sitting back) is not the Sunnah. The Sunnah is what I have done.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Buhaina Asadi (may Allah be pleased with him), who was an ally of Abdul Muttalib, narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stood up during the Zuhr prayer at a point when he was supposed to sit. When he completed the prayer, before saying the salam, he performed two prostrations while sitting. The people with him also performed these two prostrations. This was in place of the sitting that he had forgotten.

Ali bin Abdur Rahman Mu'awiyah narrates: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) saw me playing with pebbles during prayer. When he completed the prayer, he forbade me from doing so, and said: Do as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to do. He informed: When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would sit during prayer, he would place his right palm on his right knee. He would gather all his fingers and point with the finger next to the thumb. He would place his left palm on his left knee.

Aamir bin Abdullah narrates from his father: When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would sit after performing two rak'ahs, he would spread his left leg and keep his right foot upright. He would place his thumb on the middle finger and gesture with the index finger. He would place his left palm on his left knee, and he would place his left palm on his knee.

Aamir bin Abdullah narrates from his father: When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) sat in Tashahhud, he would place his left hand on his left knee and his right hand on his right knee. He would gesture with his index finger, and his gaze would not go beyond his gesture.

Asim bin Kulayb, on the authority of his father, narrates this statement from Sayyiduna Wa'il bin Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him): We came to Madinah Munawwarah, and the people had their hands inside their garments (i.e., sheets). I thought to myself, I will definitely observe the prayer of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The narrator states: He said the takbeer and began the prayer, and performed the raising of the hands (raf‘ al-yadayn) until I saw his thumbs near his ears. The narrator states: Then he grasped his left hand with his right hand. When he went into ruku‘, he performed the raising of the hands. When he raised his head, he recited «سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ» . Then he said the takbeer and performed the raising of the hands, then he went into prostration (sajdah). He placed his head between his hands, facing his face. When he sat, he kept both his feet safe and placed his right elbow on his right knee. He closed the smallest finger and the one next to it, joined his thumb and middle finger together, and raised the finger next to them (i.e., the index finger). He recited supplication along with it.