Anas said that a man came panting and entered the row of worshippers and said,“God is most great. Praise be to God, much, good and blessed.”When God’s Messenger finished his prayer he asked,“Which of you is the one who spoke the words?”but the people remained silent. He asked again, and when they still kept silence, he said,“Which of you said them? He said nothing wrong.”Then a man said,“I came and had difficulty in breathing, so I said them.”He replied,“I saw twelve angels racing one another to be the one to take them up to God.”Muslim transmitted it.

‘A’isha said that when God’s Messenger began to pray he said,“Glory be to Thee, O God, and with praise of Thee do I begin my worship. Blessed is Thy name, exalted is Thy majesty, and there is no god but Thee.”Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn Majah transmitted it from Abu Sa'id. Tirmidhi said,“This is a tradition which I know only from Haritha, and critical remarks have been made about his memory.”

Jubair b. Mut'im said that he saw God’s Messenger observing a prayer in which he said,“God is altogether great; God is altogether great; God is altogether great. Praise be to God in abundance; praise be to God in abundance; praise be to God in abundance. Glory be to God in the morning and afternoon (saying it three times). I seek refuge in God from the accursed devil, from his puffing up (nafkh), his magic (nafth) 1, and his evil suggestion (hamz) 2.”1. Literally ‘sputtering’, but used of working magic by sputtering on knots. Cf. Qur’an, 113:4. 2. For this meaning cf. Qur’an, 23:97. Abu Dawud transmitted it, as did Ibn Majah, but he did not mention,“Praise be to God in abundance,”and he mentioned at the end of it“from the accursed devil.”‘Umar said that his nafkh is pride, his, nafth is poetry, and his hamz is madness.

Samura b. Jundub said that he remembered from God's Messenger two periods of silence, one when he said the takbir, and one when he finished reciting,“Not of those with whom Thou art angry, nor of those who go astray,”* and Ubayy b, Ka‘b corroborated him. *Al-Qur’an, 1:7 Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted something similar.

Abu Huraira said that when God's Messenger got up after the second rak'a he began the recitation with,“Praise be to God, the Lord of the universe,”without observing a period of silence. It is given thus in Muslim’s Sahih. Al-Humaidi mentioned it among those given by Muslim but not by Bukhari, as did the author of al-Jami' (Ibn Al-Athir) from Muslim alone.

Jabir said that when the Prophet began prayer he said the takbir, then said,“My prayer and my devotion, my life and my death belong to God, the Lord of the universe, who has no partner. I have been so commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims. O God, guide me to the best deeds and the best qualities, Thou who alone canst guide to the best of them; and guard me from evil deeds and evil qualities, Thou who alone canst guard from their evil ones.”Nasa’i transmitted it.

Muhammad b. Maslama said that when God’s Messenger stood up to observe voluntary prayers he said,“God is most great. I have turned my face as a hanif towards Him who created the heavens and the earth, and I am not a polytheist.”And he mentioned the tradition like that of Jabir, except that he said,“l am of the Muslims.”Then he said,“O God, Thou art the King. There is no god but Thee. Glory be to Thee, and with praise of Thee [do I begin my worship] .”Then he would recite [some verses] . Nasa’i transmitted it.

‘Ubada b. as-Samit reported God’s Messenger as saying,“He who does not recite Fatihat al-Kitab* is not credited with having observed prayer.”*The first sura. (Bukhari and Muslim.) A version by Muslim has“He who does not recite Umm al-Qur’an (the first sura and something more.”

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying,“If anyone observes a prayer in which he does not recite Umm al-Qur’an, it is deficient (he said this three times) and incomplete.”When someone asked Abu Huraira [what he should do] if he were led by an imam, he told him to recite it inwardly, for he had heard God’s Messenger declare that God most high had said,“I have divided the prayer into two halves between me and my servant, and my servant will receive what he asks.”When the servant says,“Praise be to God the Lord of the universe,”God most high says,“My servant has praised me.”When he says,“The Compassionate the Merciful,”God most high says,“My servant has lauded me.”When he says,“Possessor of the day of judgment,”He says,“My servant has glorified me.”When he says,“Thee do we worship and of Thee do we ask help,”He says,“This is between me and my servant, and my servant will receive what he asks.”Then when he says,“Guide us in the straight path, the path of those to whom Thou art generous, not of those with whom Thou art angry nor of those who go astray,”He says.“This is for my servant, and my servant will receive what he asks.”Muslim transmitted it.