Sayyiduna Rifa’ah bin Rafi’ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he was sitting with the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when a man entered the mosque and performed prayer. When he finished the prayer, he came to the Prophet and greeted him and all the people with salam. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) replied to him and said: Go back and pray, for you have not prayed. The companion says that he went back and prayed, so we began to observe his prayer, but we did not know what deficiency there was in his prayer. When he finished the prayer, he came to the Prophet and greeted him and all the people with salam. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) replied to him and said: Go back and pray again, for you have not prayed. Two or three times the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said this in the same way, so the man said: I do not know what deficiency you find in my prayer? The Prophet said: A person’s prayer is not complete until he performs ablution properly according to the way Allah has prescribed; he should wash his face and both hands up to and including the elbows, wipe his head, and wash both feet up to and including the ankles. Then he should say the takbir, praise and glorify Allah, then recite from the Qur’an as much as he is able according to Allah’s command. Then he should say the takbir and bow (ruku’), placing his palms on his knees until the joints settle in their places. Then, after saying «سمع الله لمن حمده» , he should stand up straight until every bone returns to its place and the back is straight. Then, after saying the takbir, he should prostrate, placing his forehead firmly on the ground (Hammam [may Allah have mercy on him] says: sometimes the place of the forehead is mentioned as the face) until the joints settle in their places. Then, after saying the takbir, he should raise his head and sit upright on his buttocks and straighten his back. The Prophet described the entire prayer in this manner until he finished the prayer, then said: No one’s prayer is complete until he prays in this way.