The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "When the Imam says: 'Sami Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears the one who praises Him),' then say: 'Rabbana wa lakal-hamd,' (Our Lord, and to You be the praise).' Whoever says that and it coincides with the angels saying it, his previous sins will be forgiven."

He heard Abu Musa say: "The Prophet of Allah (SAW) addressed us and taught us our Sunnah and our prayer. He said: 'When you pray, make your rows straight and let one of you lead you in prayer. When the Imam says the takbir, then say the takbir. When he recites 'Not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor those who went astray' then say: "Amin" and Allah will answer you. When he says the takbir and bows, then say the takbir and bow. The Imam bows before you do and stands up before you do.' The Prophet of Allah (SAW) said: 'This makes up for that. And when he says: "'Sami Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears the one who praises Him),' then say: "Allahumma Rabbana wa lakal-hamd (O Allah, our Lord, and to You be the praise), " Allah will hear you, for Allah has said on the lips of His Prophet (SAW): "Allah hears the one who praises Him." And when he (the Imam) says the takbir and prostrates, then say the takbir and prostrate. The Imam prostrates before you do and sits up before you do.' The Prophet of Allah (SAW) said: 'This makes up for that. And when he is sitting, let the first thing that any one of you says be: At-tahiyaatut-tayyibatus-salawatuLillah, salamun 'alayka ayyuhanabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu, salamun 'alayna wa 'ala 'ibadillahis-salihin, ashhadu an la ilaha ill-Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh (All compliments, good words and prayers are due to Allah, peace be upon you O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger)- seven phrases which are the greeting of the prayer.'"

The bowing of the Messenger of Allah (SAW), and when he raised his head from bowing, and his prostration, and the time between the two prostration, were almost equal in length.

When the Prophet (SAW) said: "Sami Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears the one who praises Him),' he said: "Allahumma Rabbana wa lakal-hamd, mil'as-samawati wa mil'al-ardi wa mil'ama shi'ta min shai'in ba'd ( O Allah, our Lord, to You be the Praise, filling the heavens, filling the Earth, and filling whatever else You will.)"

When the Prophet (SAW) wanted to prostrate after bowing, he would say: "Allahumma, Rabbana wa lakal-hamd, mil'as-samawati wa mil'al-ardi wa mil'ama shi'ta min shai'in ba'd ( O Allah, our Lord, to You be the Praise, filling the heavens, filling the Earth, and filling whatever else You will.)"

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) used to say: "Sami Allahu liman hamidah, Rabbana wa lakal-hamd, mil'as-samawati wa mil'al-ardi wa mil'ama shi'ta min shai'in ba'd. Athlath-thana'i wal-majdi khairu ma qalal-'abdu wa kulluna laka 'abdun la mani'a lima a'taita wa la yanfa'u dhal-jaddi minkal-jadd (Allah hears the one who praises Him; Our Lord, to You be the Praise, filling the heavens, filling the Earth, and filling whatever else You will, Lord of Glory and Majesty, the truest thing a slave had said, and we are all slaves to You. None can withhold what You grant, nor can the possession of an owner benefit him before You.)"

He prayed with the Messenger of Allah (SAW) one night and he heard him say when he said the takbir: "Allahu Akbara dhal-jabaruti wal-malakuti wal-kibriya'i wal-'azamah (Allah is Most Great, the One Who has all power, sovereignty, magnificence and might.)" When bowing he would say: "Subhana Rabbial-'Azim (Glory be to my Lord Almighty)." When he raised his head from bowing he would say: "Lirabbil-hamd, Lirabbil-hamd (To my Lord be praise, to my Lord be praise)." And when he prostrated (he said): "Subhana Rabbial-A'la (Glory be to my Lord Most High)." And between the two prostrations (he said): "Rabbighfirli, Rabbighfirli (Lord forgive me, Lord forgive me)." His standing, his bowing, when he raised his head from bowing, his prostration and the time between the two prostrations, were almost the same.

"The Messenger of Allah (SAW) prayed (saying the) Qunut after bowing for a month, supplicating against Ri'l, Dhakwan and 'Usayyah who had disobeyed Allah and His Messenger." (Sahih).

"Did the Messenger of Allah (SAW) say the Qunut in Subh prayer?" He said: "Yes." He was asked: "Was that before bowing or after?" He said: "After bowing."

"Some of those who prayed the Subh prayer with the Messenger of Allah (SAW) narrated to me that when he said: Sami'Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears those who praise Him)' in the second rak'ah, he stood for a while."

"When the Messenger of Allah (SAW) raised his head in the second rak'ah of the subh prayer, he said: 'O Allah, save Al-Walid bin Al-Walid and Salamah bin Hisham and 'Ayyshah bin Abi Rabi'ah and those who are weak and oppressed in Makkah. O Allah, intensify Your punishment in Mudar and give them years (of famine) like the years of Yusuf.'"

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) used to supplicate in prayer when he said: "Sami' Allahu liman hamidah, Rabbana wa lakal-hamd (Allah hears those who praise Him; O our Lord, and to You be praise),"then he said while standing, before he prostrated: "O Allah, save Al-Walid bin Al-Walid and Salamah bin Hisham and 'Ayyshah bin Abi Rabi'ah and those who are weak and oppressed in Makkah. O Allah, intensify Your punishment in Mudar and give them years (of famine) like the years of Yusuf." Then he would say: "Allah is Most Great" and then he prostrated. The people of Mudar and their environs were opposed to the Messenger of Allah (SAW) at the time.

"I shall explain to you the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (SAW)." He said: "Abu Hurairah used to say the Qunut in the last rak'ah of the Zuhr prayer, and the later Isha' prayer, and the Subh, after saying 'Sami Allahu liman hamidah.' He would pray for the believers and curse the disbelievers.'"

The Prophet (SAW) used to say the Qunut in Subh and Maghrib. (One of the narrators) 'Ubaidullah said: "Allah's Messenger (SAW) used to."

"The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said the Qunut for a month."- (One of the narrators) Shu'bah said: "He cursed some men." Hisham said: "He supplicated against some of the tribes of Arabs."-"Then he stopped doing that after bowing." This is what Hisham said. Shu'bah said, narrating from Qatadah, from Anas that the Prophet (SAW) said the Qunut for a month, cursing Ri'l, Dhawkan and Lihyan.

He heard the Prophet (SAW), when he raised his head in the last rak'ah of the subh prayer, say: "O Allah, curse so-and-so and so-and-so," supplicating against some of the hypocrites. Then Allah revealed the words: "Not for you is the decision; whether He turns in mercy to (pardon) them or punishes them; verily, they are the wrongdoers."

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said the Qunut for one month, supplicating against one of the 'Arab tribes, then he stopped doing that."

"I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and he did not say the Qunut, and I prayed behind Abu Bakr and he did not say the Qunut, and I prayed behind Umar and he did not say the Qunut, and I prayed behind Uthman and he did not say the Qunut, and I prayed behind Ali and he did not say the Qunut." Then he said: "O my son, this is an innovation."

"We used to pray Zuhr with the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and I would take a handful of pebbles in my hand to cool them down, then I would pass them from one hand to the other, and when I prostrated I would put them down to lay my forehead on them."

"Imran bin Husain and I prayed behind Ali bin Abi Talib. When he prostrated he said the Takbir, and when he raised his head from prostration he said the takbir, and when he stood up following two rak'ahs he said the takbir, and when he had finished praying, 'Imran took my hand and said: 'This reminded me of- he said a word meaning- the prayer of Muhammad (SAW).'"

"The Messenger of Allah (SAW) used to say the takbir every time he went down and came up, and he would say the Salam to his right and his left. And Abu Bakr and 'Umar used to do likewise."

"I heard Yusuf-meaning Ibn Mahak- narrating that Hakim said: 'I gave my pledge of allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (SAW), pledging that I would go down (in prostration) only after standing up from bowing.'"

He saw the Prophet (SAW) raise his hands when praying, when he bowed, when he raised his head from bowing, when he prostrated and when he raised his head from prostrating, until they were in level with the top part of his ears.

He saw the Prophet (SAW) raise his hands, a similar report.

He saw the Prophet of Allah (SAW) raise his hands when he started to pray, and he narrated a similar report and added: "When he bowed he did likewise, and when he raised his head from bowing he did likewise, and when he raised his head from prostration he did likewise."

"The Messenger of Allah (SAW) used to raise his hands when he started to pray, and when he bowed, and when he stood up, but he did not do that when he prostrated."

"I saw the Messenger of Allah (SAW) when he prostrated, he lowered his knees before his hands, and when he came up he raised his hands before his knees."

"The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: 'Is there any one of you who kneel as a camel kneels when praying?'"

"The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: 'When one of you prostrates, let him put his hands down before his knees, and not kneel like a camel.'"

The hands prostrate as the face prostrates, so when one of you puts his face down he should put his hands down, and when he raises (the face) he should raise (the hands) too.

"The Prophet (SAW) was commanded to prostrate on seven parts of his body and not to tuck up his hair or his garment."

He heard the Messenger of Allah (SAW) say: "When a person prostrates, seven parts of his body prostrate: his face, his two palms, his two knees and his two feet."

"My two eyes saw the traces of water and mud on the forehead and nose of the Messenger of Allah (SAW), from his praying Qiyam on the night of the twenty-first."

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "I have been commanded to prostrate on seven, and not to tuck up my hair nor my garment: the forehead, the nose, the hands, the knees and the feet."

The Prophet (SAW) said: "I have been commanded to prostrate on seven bones: on the forehead"- and he pointed with his hand- "on the nose, the hands, the knees and the ends of the feet."

"The Prophet (SAW) was commanded to prostrate on seven-and he was forbidden to tuck up his hair and garment-on his hands, his knees, the edges of his feet." Sufyan said: "Ibn Tawus said to us: 'He put his hand on his forehead and moved it down to his nose and said: This one thing.'"

He heard the Messenger of Allah (SAW) say: "When a person prostrates, seven parts of his body prostrate with him: his forehead, his two hands, his two knees and his two feet."

"I noticed the Messenger of Allah (SAW) was missing one night, and I found him when he was prostrating with his feet held upright, and he was saying: 'Allahumma, inni a'udhu biridaka min sakhatik, wa bimu'afatika min 'uqubatik, wa bika minka la uhsi thana'an 'alaika anta kama athnaita 'ala nafsik (O Allah, I seek refuge with Your pleasure from Your wrath, in Your forgiveness from Your punishment and in You from You. I cannot praise You enough, You are as You have praised Yourself.)"

"When the Prophet (SAW) fell to the ground during prostration, he held his arms away from his sides and bent his toes."

"I came to Al-Madinah and said: 'I am going to watch the Messenger of Allah (SAW) pray. He said the takbir and raised his hands until I saw his thumbs near his ears. When he wanted to bow, he said the takbir and raised his hands. Then he raised his head and said: 'Sami Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears the one who praises Him).' Then he said the takbir and prostrated, and his hands were in the same position in relation to his ears as when he started the prayer."

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "Do not rest your forearms on the ground like a dog when prostrating."

"Al-Bara' described the prostration to us. He places his hands on the ground and raised his posterior and said: 'This is what I saw the Messenger of Allah (SAW) doing."

When the Messenger of Allah (SAW) prayed he would Jakhkha.

When the Messenger of Allah (SAW) prayed he held his arms out so much that the whiteness of his armpits appeared.

"If I were in front of the Messenger of Allah (SAW) I would be able to see the whiteness of his armpits." (One of the narrators) Abu Mijlaz said: "It is as if he said that because he was praying."

"I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and I used to see the whiteness of his armpits when he prostrated."

When the Prophet (SAW) prostrated he would hold his arms out from his sides so that if a lamb wanted to pass beneath his arms it would be able to do so.

"I heard Anas (narrate) that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: 'Be moderate in prostration and do not rest your forearms along the ground like a dog.'"

"The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: 'No prayer is valid in which a man does not maintain his back (at ease) when bowing and prostrating.'"

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) forbade three things: "Pecking like a crow, resting one's forearms on the ground like a predator, and allocating the same place for prayer like a camel gets used to a certain place."