Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying:When the imam says,“God listens to him who praises Him," say,“O God, our Lord, to Thee be the praise for if what anyone says synchronises with what the angels say, he will be forgiven his past sins. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abdallah b. Abu Aufa said that when God’s Messenger raised his back after bowing he said,“God listens to him who praises Him. O God, our Lord, to Thee be the praise in all the heavens and all the earth, and all that it pleases Thee to create afterwards.”Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said that when God’s Messenger raised his head after bowing he said,“O God, our Lord, to Thee be the praise in all the heavens and all the earth, and all that it pleases Thee to create afterwards, O Thou who art worthy of praise and glory, most worthy of what a servant says, and we are all Thy servants, no one can withhold what Thou givest or give what Thou withholdest, and riches cannot avail a wealthy person with Thee.”* * This is explained as meaning that only obedience to God will avail him, or protect him from God’s punishment. Jadd (riches) has also been understood in the sense of ancestor (lit. grandfather), so the phrase may be taken to mean that one’s reward in the next world does dot depend on one’s ancestry. Muslim transmitted it.

Rifa'a b. Raf’i said:We were praying behind the Prophet, and when he raised his head at the end of the rak'a he said,“God listens to him who praises Him.”A man behind him said, ‘O our Lord, to Thee be the praise, abundant, good, blessed, sufficient.”When he ended he asked,“Who was the speaker just now ?”and when the man replied that he had spoken he said,“I saw over thirty angels racing one another to be the first to record it.”Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari reported God’s Messenger as saying,“A man’s prayer does not avail him unless he keeps his back steady when bowing and prostrating himself.”Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it, and Tirmidhi said this is a hasan sahih tradition.

‘Uqba b. ‘Amir said that when“Glorify the name of your mighty Lord”(Al-Qur’an; 56:74, 96; 69:52) was revealed, God’s Messenger said,“Use it when bowing;”and when“Glorify the name of your most high Lord”(Al-Qur’an; 87) was revealed, he said,“Use it when prostrating yourselves.”Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

‘Aun b. ‘Abdallah reported on the authority of Ibn Mas'ud that God’s Messenger said:When one of you bows and says three times while doing so,“Glory be to my mighty Lord”, his bowing is complete; and that is the least which effects this. When he prostrates himself and says three times while doing so,“Glory be to my most high Lord”, his prostration is complete; and that is the least which effects this. Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it, but Tirmidhi said that its isnad is not connected, because ‘Aun did not meet Ibn Mas'ud.

Hudhaifa said that he prayed along with the Prophet and that he said when bowing,“Glory be to my mighty Lord”, and when prostrating himself,“Glory be to my most high Lord”; when he came to a verse which spoke of mercy he stopped and made supplication, and when he came to a verse which spoke of punishment he stopped and sought refuge in God. Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it. Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted up to“my most high Lord”. Tirmidhi said that this is a hasan sahih tradition.

‘Auf b. Malik said that he stood up to pray along with God’s Messenger and that when he bowed he paused about as long as it would take to recite Sura al-Baqara (Al-Qur’an; 2) and said while bowing,“Glory be to the Possessor of greatness, the kingdom, grandeur and majesty.”Nasa’i transmitted it.

Ibn Jubair said that he heard Anas b. Malik declare,“After the death of God’s Messenger I never prayed behind anyone whose prayer more closely resembled that of God’s Messenger than this young man,”meaning ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-‘AzIz.* He reported him as saying,“I computed that he uttered ten tasbihas when bowing and ten when prostrating himself.”* He was Caliph from 99 to 101 A.H. and was noted for his piety. Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.