“When he entered into the ritual prayer, he said: ‘Allah is Supremely Great [Allahu Akbar], the Lord of power [jabarut], sovereignty [malakut], magnificence [kibriya’] and sublimity ['azama]! Then he recited the Sura of the Cow [al-Baqara]. Then he bowed down, and he bowed for approximately as long as he had stood erect, saying: ‘Glory be to my Lord, the Almighty! Glory be to my Lord, the Almighty!’ Then he raised his head, and he stood erect for approximately as long as he had bowed, saying: ‘To my Lord belongs the praise! To my Lord belongs the praise!’ Then he prostrated himself, and he prostrated for approximately as long as he had stood erect, saying: ‘Glory be to my Lord, the Most High! Glory be to my Lord, the Most High!’ Then he raised his head, and the pause between the two prostrations was approximately as long as the prostrations. During the pause he said: ‘My Lord, forgive me! My Lord, forgive me,’ until he recited the Suras of the Cow [al-Baqara], the Family of Imran [Al 'Imran], Women [an-Nisa’] and the Table Spread [al-Maida], or Cattle [al-An'am].” According to Abu 'Isa: “Shu'ba is the one who entertained doubts about [the Qur’anic Suras] al-Ma'ida and al- Anam."

“Abu Humaid, Abu Usaid As-Sa’di, Sahl bin Sa’d, and Muhammad bin Maslamah came together and spoke about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (saw). Abu Humaid said: ‘I am the most knowledgeable of you about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (saw). The Messenger of Allah (saw) stood up and said Allahu Akbar, and raised his hands, then he raised them when he said Allahu Akbar for Ruku’, then he stood up and raised his hands, and stood straight until every bone had returned to its place.’”

"The sun was eclipsed during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (SAW). He stood and said the takbir, and the people formed rows behind him. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) recited for a long time, then he said the takbir and bowed for a long time, then he raised his head and said: Sami Allahu liman hamidah, Rabbana wa lakal-hamd. Then he stood and recited for a long time, but it was a shorter recitation than the first recitation, then he said the takbir and bowed but it was shorter than the first bowing. Then he said: Sami Allahu liman hamidah, then he prostrated. In this manner, he bowed four times, and the eclipse ended before he had finished. Then he stood and addressed the people. He praised and glorified Allah (SWT), the Mighty and Sublime, as He deserves, then he said: The sun and moon are two of the signs of Allah (SWT), Most High. They do not become eclipsed for the death or birth of anyone. If you see that (eclipsed) then pray until it ends. And the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: While I was standing just now I saw everything you have been promised. When you saw me moving forward, I wanted to take a cluster of fruit from Paradise. And I saw Hell; parts of it were consuming other parts when you saw me step backward. And I saw therein Ibn Luhayy, who was the first one to establish the Sa'ibah.'"

He attended a Khutbah one day that was delivered by Samurah bin Jundub. In his Khutbah he mentioned a hadith from the Messenger of Allah (SAW). Samurah bin Jundub said: "One day a boy from among the Ansar and I were shooting at two targets of ours, during the time of the Messenger of Allah (SAW), when the sun was at a height of two or three spears as it appears to one who is looking at the horizon. The sun turned black, and we said to one another, let us go to the masjid, for by Allah (SWT) this must herald some event concerning the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and his ummah. We went to the masjid and we saw the Messenger of Allah (SAW) coming out to the people. He went forward and prayed. He stood for the longest time that he had ever stood in any prayer in which he led us, but we did not hear him saying anything. Then he bowed for the longest time that he had ever bowed in any prayer in which he led us, but we did not hear him saying anything. Then he prostrated for the longest time that he had ever prostrated in any prayer in which he led us, but we did not hear him saying anything. The he did likewise in the second rak'ah. And the eclipse ended as he was sitting at the end of the second rak'ah. The he said the salam, then he praised and glorified Allah (SWT), and bore witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah (SWT) and he bore witness that he was the slave and Messenger of Allah." Narrated in abridged form.

I wanted to tell you a hadeeth that I heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Then I decided not to tell it to you, al-Hakam bin al-`As said: O Ameer al-Mu`mineen, if it is enjoining us to do good we will do it and if it is warning us of a bad thing we will avoid it. He said: I will tell it to you the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did wudoo in this manner, then he said: `Whoever does wudoo’ in this manner and does it well, then goes and prays, bowing and prostrating properly, it (the prayer) will expiate his sins between that - prayer and the next, unless he does or something serious` i.e., major sin.

“When the Prophet (saw) stood up to offer a prescribed prayer, he said Allahu Akbar and raised his hands until they were parallel to his shoulders. When he wanted to bow he did likewise; when he raised his head from bowing he did likewise; and when he stood up after the two prostrations he did likewise.”*