Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'nNadr, the mawla of Umar ibn 'Ubaydullah, from Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I was sleeping in front of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and my feet were in his qibla. When he prostrated, he nudged me and I pulled up my feet,and when he stood up I spread them out." She added, "There were no lamps in the house at that time."

Al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib said, “We went out with God’s messenger to the funeral of a man of the Ansar, but when we reached the grave the niche in the side had not yet been made, so the Prophet sat down facing the qibla and we sat down along with him.” Abu Dawud, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Ibn Majah adding “quietly”. (Literally, as though the birds were over our heads. An explanation of the phrase is that when a bird alights on a camel’s head and begins to pick the ticks off it, the camel stands perfectly still so as not to frighten it away.)

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'I am to you like a father to his son, and I teach you. So when you go to relieve yourselves, do not face the Qiblah or turn your backs towards it.' He ordered us to use three pebbles, and he forbade us to use dung and bones, and he forbade cleaning oneself with the right hand."

“I said: ‘I will look at the Messenger of Allah (saw) and see how he performs the prayer.’ He stood up and faced the Qiblah, and raised his hands until they were parallel to his ears. When he bowed, he raised them likewise, and when he raised his head from Ruku’, he raised them likewise.”

We were with the Prophet (SAW) during a dark night and we became uncertain about the Qiblah (the direction of Makkah) we then prayed (without being certain). When the run rose, we discovered that we prayed towards a direction other than the Qiblah. So this Verse was revealed: "...so wherever you turn yourselves or your faces, there is the Face of Allah..." [Reported by at-Tirmidhi who graded it Da'if (weak)].

"I said: 'I am going to watch the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and see how he prays.' The Messenger of Allah (SAW) stood up and faced the Qiblah, then he raised his hands until they were in level with his ears, then he held his left hand with his right. When he wanted to bow, he raised them (his hands) likewise, then placed his hands on his knees. When he raised his head from bowing, he raised them (his hands) likewise. When he prostrated he put his hands in the same position in relation to his head, then he sat up and lay his left foot on the ground. He placed his left hand on his left thigh and his right elbow on his right thigh, and made a circle with two of his fingers. And I saw him doing like this"- Bishr (one of the narrators) pointed with the forefinger of his right hand and made a circle with the thumb and middle finger.

"Whatever a Verse do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring a better one or similar to it." and "And when We change a Verse in place of another -and Allah knows best what He sends down" (Al-Nahl 16:101) and "Allah blots out what He wills and confirms (what He wills). And with Him is the Mother of the Book." The first thing that was abrogated in the Qur'an was the Qiblah. And He said: "And divorced women shall wait (as regards their marriage) for three menstrual periods, and it is not lawful for them to conceal what Allah has created in their wombs, if they believe in Allah and the Last Day." "And their husbands have better right to take them back in that period, if they wish for reconciliation." -that is because when a man divorced his wife, he had more right to take her back, even if he had divorced her three times. Then (Allah) abrogated that and said: "The divorce is twice, after that, either you retain her on reasonable terms or release her with kindness."

from 'Umar bin Al-Khattab, who said: "The Prophet (SAW) looked over the idolaters, and there were a thousand of them, while his Companions were three-hundred and ten and some odd number of men. So the Prophet of Allah (SAW) faced the Qiblah, stretched forth his hands and began beseeching his Lord: 'O Allah! Fulfill what You promised for me. [O Allah! Bring about what You promised for me] O Allah! If you destroy this band of adherents to Islam, you will not be worshiped upon the earth,' He continued beseeching his Lord with his hands stretched, facing the Qiblah until his Rida fell from his shoulders. Abu Bakr came to him, took his Rida and placed it back upon his shoulders, then embraced him from behind and said: 'O Prophet of Allah! You have sufficiently beseeched your Lord, indeed He shall fulfill what He promised you.' So Allah, Blessed and Most High, revealed: When you sought help of your Lord and He answered you (saying): 'I will help you with a thousand of the angels in succession (8:9).'

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih Gharib. We do not know of it as a Hadith of 'Umar, except through the narration of 'Ikrimah bin 'Ammar, from Abu Zumail, and Abu Zumail's name is Simãk Al-Hanafi. And this was on the Day of Badr.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Talha that Rafiibn Ishaq, a mawla of the family of ash-Shifa who was known as the mawla of Abu Talha, heard Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, one of the companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, while he was in Egypt, "By Allah! I don't know how to deal with these lavatories." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When you go to defecate or urinate, do not expose your genitals towards the qibla, and do not put your back to it."

"Abu Humaid, Abu Usaid, Sahl bin Sa'd, and Muhammad bin Maslamah were once together and they were mentioning the Salat of Allah's Messenger. Abu Humaid said: "I am the most knowledgeable among you of the Salat of Allah's Messenger: Indeed Allah's Messenger sat - meaning for Tashah-hud - he spread his left foot, and made the top of his right (foot) face the Qiblah, and he placed his right hand on his right knee, and his left hand on his left knee, and indicated with his finger - meaning the index finge.'"

"We departed with the Messenger of Allah (SAW) until he was at Harrah As-Suqya which belonged to Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas. So the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: 'Bring me water for Wudu.' So he performed Wudu, then he faced the Qiblah and said: 'O Allah! Indeed Ibrahim was Your servant and Your Khalil, and he supplicated for blessings for the people of Makkah. And I am Your servant and Messenger, and I supplicate for the people of Al-Madinah; that You bless them in their Mudd and their Sa' like You blessed the people of Makkah, for each blessing let there be two blessings."

I relate to you a tradition, but do not narrate it to anyone so long as I am alive: The Messenger of Allah (saws) encamped at Tabuk near a date-palm and he said: This is our qiblah (direction for praying). He then offered prayer facing it. I came running, when I was a boy, until I passed the place between him and the tree. He said (cursing): He cut off our prayer, may Allah cut off his walking. I could not, therefore, stand upon them(feet) till today.

I am more informed than any of you regarding the manner in which the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) offered his prayer. They said: Present it. The narrator then reported the tradition, saying: he bent the toes of his feet turning them towards the Qiblah when he prostrated, then he uttered “ Allah is most great,” and raised (his head), and bent his left foot and sat on it, and he did the same in the second Rakah. The narrator then transmitted the tradition, and added: In the prostration (i.e., the Rakah) which ended at the salutation, he sat on the hips at the left side. ahmad (b. Hanbal) added: they said : You are right. This is how he used to pray. They (Ahmed and Musaddad) did not mention in their versions how he sat after offering two rak’ahs of prayer.

"I see that your companion (the Prophet) is teaching you everything, even how to relieve yourselves?" He said: "Yes indeed. He has ordered us not to face the Qiblah (prayer direction) nor to clean ourselves with our right hands, and not to be content with anything less than three stones, which are not to include any excrement or bones."

‘Mention was made in the presence of Ibn ‘Abbas about what severs the prayer. They mentioned a dog, a donkey and a woman. He said: ‘What do you say about kids (young goats)? The Messenger of Allah (saw) was performing prayer one day, when a kid came and wanted to pass in front of him. The Messenger of Allah (saw) preceded it toward the Qiblah. (to tighten the space and prevent it from passing in front of him).’”

When it was the day on which the Battle of Badr was fought, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) cast a glance at the infidels, and they were one thousand while his own Companions were three hundred and nineteen. The Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) turned (his face) towards the Qibla. Then he stretched his hands and began his supplication to his Lord: "O Allah, accomplish for me what Thou hast promised to me. O Allah, bring about what Thou hast promised to me. O Allah, if this small band of Muslims is destroyed. Thou will not be worshipped on this earth." He continued his supplication to his Lord, stretching his hands, facing the Qibla, until his mantle slipped down from his shoulders. So Abu Bakr came to him, picked up his mantle and put it on his shoulders. Then he embraced him from behind and said: Prophet of Allah, this prayer of yours to your Lord will suffice you, and He will fulfill for you what He has promised you. So Allah, the Glorious and Exalted, revealed (the Qur'anic verse): "When ye appealed to your Lord for help, He responded to your call (saying): I will help you with one thousand angels coming in succession." So Allah helped him with angels. Abu Zumail said that the hadith was narrated to him by Ibn `Abbas who said: While on that day a Muslim was chasing a disbeliever who was going ahead of him, he heard over him the swishing of the whip and the voice of the rider saying: Go ahead, Haizum! He glanced at the polytheist who had (now) fallen down on his back. When he looked at him (carefully he found that) there was a scar on his nose and his face was torn as if it had been lashed with a whip, and had turned green with its poison. An Ansari came to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and related this (event) to him. He said: You have told the truth. This was the help from the third heaven. The Muslims that day (i.e. the day of the Battle of Badr) killed seventy persons and captured seventy. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said to Abu Bakr and `Umar (Allah be pleased with them): What is your opinion about these captives? Abu Bakr said: They are our kith and kin. I think you should release them after getting from them a ransom. This will be a source of strength to us against the infidels. It is quite possible that Allah may guide them to Islam. Then the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: What is your opinion, Ibn Khattab? He said: Messenger of Allah, I do not hold the same opinion as Abu Bakr. I am of the opinion that you should hand them over to us so that we may cut off their heads. Hand over `Aqil to `Ali that he may cut off his head, and hand over such and such relative to me that I may cut off his head. They are leaders of the disbelievers and veterans among them. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) approved the opinion of Abu Bakr and did not approve what I said. The next day when I came to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), I found that both he and Abu Bakr were sitting shedding tears. I said: Messenger of Allah, why are you and your Companion shedding tears? Tell me the reason. For I will weep, or I will at least pretend to weep in sympathy with you. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: I weep for what has happened to your companions for taking ransom (from the prisoners). I was shown the torture to which they were subjected. It was brought to me as close as this tree. (He pointed to a tree close to him.) Then God revealed the verse: "It is not befitting for a prophet that he should take prisoners until the force of the disbelievers has been crushed..." to the end of the verse: "so eat ye the spoils of war, (it is) lawful and pure. So Allah made booty lawful for them."

He told that the Prophet entered a grave during the night, and when a lamp was lit for him he faced the qibla and said, “God have mercy on you if you were devoted to supplication with tears (The Arabic is awwah which cannot easily be translated by one word. It is variously explained as meaning one much given to sighing through fear of God, one much given to supplication from love of God, one much given to weeping from fefir, or one much given to prayer asking for God’s mercy. Cf. Mirqat, ii, 376) and to the recitation of the Qur’an.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, but in Sharh as- sunna its isnad is said to be weak.

"We witnessed the fear prayer with the Messenger of Allah (SAW). We stood behind him in two rows, and the enemy was between us and the Qiblah. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said the takbir. He bowed and we bowed, and he stood up again and we stood up. When he went down in prostration, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and those who were closest to him prostrated, and the second row remained standing until the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and the row closest to him stood up. Then the second row prostrated when the Messenger of Allah (SAW) had stood up, where they were. Then the row that had been closest to the Prophet (SAW) moved back and the second row moved forward, each standing in the place where the other had been. The Prophet (SAW) bowed and we bowed, then he stood up and we stood up, and when he went down in prostration, those who were closest to him prostrated and the others remained standing. When the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and those who were closest to him sat up, the others prostrated, then he said the taslim."

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said, "The direction between the east and west is Qiblah." [Reported by at-Tirmidhi, and al-Bukhari considered it Qawi (strong)].

I said that I should look at the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (saws) how he prays. The Messenger of Allah (saws) stood up and faced the qiblah (i.e. the direction of Ka'bah) and uttered the takbir (Allah is most great); then he raised his hands till he brought them in front of his ears; then he caught hold of his left hand with his right hand (i.e. folded his hands).

When he was about to bow, he raised them (his hands) in a like manner. Then he sat, stretched out his left foot (to sit on it), placed his left hand on his left thigh, and kept away the tip of his right elbow from his right thigh, joined two fingers, formed a ring, to do so. And the narrator Bishr made a ring with the thumb and the middle finger.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) has forbidden us to face the two qiblahs at the time of urination or excretion.

Allah’s Messenger (saw) “Neither face nor turn your back to the Qiblah while defecating or urinating, but turn towards the east or the west”. [Reported by the As-Sab’a]

"We were with the Messenger of Allah (SAW) when a man entered the Masjid and prayed. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) watched him without him realizing, then he finished, came to the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and greeted him with salam. He returned the salam and said: "Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.'" He (the narrator) said: "I do not know if it was the second or third time,- "(the man) said: 'By the One Who revealed the Book to you, I have tried my best. Teach me and show me.' He said: 'When you want to pray, perform wudu' and do it well, then stand up and face the qiblah. Then say the takbir, then recite, then bow until you are at ease in bowing. Then stand up until you are standing up straight. Then prostrate until you are at ease in prostration, then raise your head until you are at ease in sitting, then prostrate until you are at ease in prostration. If you do that then you will have done your prayer properly, and whatever you failed to do properly is going to detract from your prayer."

A paternal uncle of his who was present at Badr told him, that a man entered the masjid and prayed, and the Messenger of Allah (SAW) was watching, but we did not realize. When he had finished, he came and greeted the Messenger of Allah (SAW) with salam. He said: "Go back and pray, for you have not prayed." So he went back and prayed, then he came to the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and he said: "Go back and pray, for you have not prayed." (This happened) two or three times. Then the man said to him: "By the One who has honored you , O Messenger of Allah (SAW), I have tried my best; teach me." He said: "When you get up to pray, perform wudu and do it well, then turn to face the Qiblah and say the takbir. Then recite the Quran, then bow until you are at ease in bowing. Then stand up until you are standing straight, then prostrate until you are at ease prostrating, then sit up until you are at ease sitting, then prostrate until you are at ease prostrating, then get up, and continue doing that until you have finished your prayer."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Habban from his paternal uncle, Wasi ibn Habban, that Abdullah ibn Umar said, "People say, 'When you sit to relieve yourself, do not face the qibla or the Bayt al-Maqdis.' "

Abdullah continued, "I went upon top of a house of ours and saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, (squatting) on two unfired bricks facing the Bayt al-Maqdis, relieving himself."

Ibn Umar added, "Perhaps you are one of those who pray folded on their haunches."

Wasi replied, "I don't know, by Allah!"

The Messenger of Allah (saws) offered prayer. The version of the narrator Ibrahim goes: I do not know whether he increased or decreased (the rak'ahs of prayer).

When he gave the salutation, he was asked: Has something new happened in the prayer, Messenger of Allah? He said: What is it? They said: You prayed so many and so many (rak'ahs). He then relented his foot and faced the Qiblah and made two prostrations. He then gave the salutation. When he turned away (finished the prayer), he turned his face to us and said: Had anything new happened in prayer, I would have informed you. I am only a human being and I forget just as you do; so when I forget, remind me, and when any of you is in doubt about his prayer he should aim at what is correct, and complete his prayer in that respect, then give the salutation and afterwards made two prostrations.

"I attended Hajj with the Prophet. I prayed the Subh (Fajr) prayer with him in Masjid AI-Khaif." He said: "When the Prophet finished, he turned (from the Qiblah) and saw two men at the back of the people who had not prayed with him. He said, 'Bring them to me.' So I brought then while they were shuddering with fear. He said: 'What prevented you from praying with us?" They said: 'O Messenger of Allah!' We prayed at our camp.' So he said: 'Do not do that; when you pray in your camp then you come to a Masjid with a congregation, then pray with them. That will be a voluntary prayer for you.'"

“I heard Abu Ubayy bin Umm Haram, who had prayed with the Messenger of Allah (saw) facing both the Qiblah, saying: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say: “You should use senna and the Sannut, for in them there is healing for every disease, except the Sam.” It was said: “O Messenger of Allah, what is the Sam?” He said: “Death.” (One of the narrators) ‘Amr said: “Ibn Abu ‘Ablah said: the ‘Sannut is dill.” Others said: “Rather, it is honey that is kept in a skin (i.e., receptacle) used for ghee.”*

“What is wrong with one of you that he stands facing Him (meaning his Lord) and spits in front of Him? Would anyone like to be faced by someone who spits in his face? If anyone of you needs to spit, then let him spit to his left, or let him do like this in his garment.”
Then Ismail (Abu Bakr bin Abu Shuaibah) showed me how he spat in his garment then rubbed it.

Allah’s Messenger (saw) forbade us to face the Qiblah when defecating or urinating, or to clean ourselves using the right hand, or to clean ourselves with less than three stones, or to clean ourselves with dung or a bone [Reported by Muslim].

the Messenger of Allah said: "Two Qiblahs in one land are of no benefit, and there is no Jizyah upon the Muslims."

He asked Abu Hurairah: "Did you offer the fear prayer with the Messenger of Allah (SAW)?" Abu Hurairah said: "Yes." He asked: "When?" He said: "In the year of the campaign to Najd. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) stood up to pray 'Asr and a group stood with him, and another group as facing the enemy, with their backs toward the Qiblah. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said the takbir, and they all said the takbir, those who were with him and those who were with him facing the enemy. Then the Messenger of Allah (SAW) bowed once and the group that was with him bowed, then he and the group that was with him prostrated twice, while the others were standing facing the enemy. Then the Messenger of Allah (SAW) stood up and the group that was with him stood and went to face the enemy, and the group that had been facing the enemy came and bowed and prostrated while the Messenger of Allah (SAW) was standing there. Then they stood up, and the Messenger of Allah (SAW) bowed again, and they bowed and prostrated with him. Then the group that had been facing the enemy came and bowed and prostrated, while the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and those who were with him were sitting. Then the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said the taslim and they all said the taslim. So the Messenger of Allah (SAW) had prayed two rak'ahs and each of the two groups had prayed two rak'ahs."

"He (SAW) faced the Qiblah making supplication. Then, he prayed two Rak'at, reciting (the Qur'an) in them audibly."

“The Imam should stand facing the Qiblah, and a group of them should stand with him, and another group should stand in the direction of the enemy, facing towards the row (of worshippers). He should lead them in one Rak’ah, then they should bow and do two prostrations by themselves where they are. Then they should go and take the place of the others, and the others should come and pray one Rak’ah, bowing and prostrating with the leader. Then he will have prayed two Rak’ah and they will have prayed one; then they should perform another Rak’ah, bowing and performing two prostrations.”

“At the time of the Messenger of Allah (SAW), if a person stood to pray, his gaze would not go beyond his feet. When the Messenger of Allah (SAW) died, if a person stood to pray, his gaze would not go beyond the place where he put his forehead when prostrating. Then Abu Bakr died and it was ‘Umar (the caliph). So, when any person stood to pray his gaze would not go beyond the Qiblah. Then came the time of ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan, and there was Fitnah (tribulation, turmoil), and the people started to look right and left.”

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Habban that his paternal uncle Wasi ibn Habban said, "I was praying, and Abdullah ibn Umar was resting his back on the wall of the qibla. When I had finished the prayer I turned towards him on my left hand side. Abdullah ibn Umar said, 'What stopped you from turning away to your right?' I replied, 'I saw you and turned towards you.' Abdullah said, 'You have spoken correctly. People say that you should turn away to your right, but when you pray, you can turn whichever way you wish. If you like, to your right, and if you like, to your left.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar, when asked about the fear prayer said, "The imam and a group of people go forward and the imam prays a raka with them, while another group, who have not yet prayed, position themselves between him and the enemy. When those who are with him have prayed a raka they draw back to where those who have not prayed are, and do not say the taslim. Then those who have not prayed come forward and pray a raka with him. Then the imam leaves, as he has now prayed two rakas. Everyone else in the two groups stands and prays a raka by himself after the imam has left. In this way each of the two groups will have prayed two rakas. If the fear is greater than that, then the men pray standing on their feet or mounted, either facing the qibla or otherwise."

We went out with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and when we were in the Harrah, at as-Suqya (a halting place between Makkah and Madinah) which belonged to Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: `Bring me some water for wudoo’.” When he had done wudoo he stood up and turned to face the qiblah, then he said takbeer, then he said: O Allah, Ibrahim was Your slave and Your close friend; he prayed for blessing for the people of Makkah. I am Muhammad, Your slave and Your Messenger; I am praying to You for the people of Madinah - bless their mudd and sa` [weights and measures] as You blessed the people of Makkah, double the blessing You bestowed upon the people of Makkah, a twofold blessing.”

'He (saws) rode Al-Qaswa until he reached Al-MashAAar Al-Haram, he then faced the qiblah, supplicated to Allah, and extoled His greatness and oneness. He stood until the sun shone but left before it rose.' Reference: Muslim 2/891.

“I was sitting with Ibn ‘Abbas, and a man came to him and he said: ‘Where have you come from?’ He said: ‘From Zamzam.’ He said: ‘Did you drink from it as you should?’ He said: ‘How is that?’ He said: ‘When you drink from it, turn to face the Qiblah and mention the name of Allah, drink three draughts and drink your fill of it. When you have finished, then praise Allah.’ The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: ‘The sign (that differentiates) between us and the hypocrites is that they do not drink their fill from Zamzam.”

It was narrated from Jabir bin ‘Abdullah that the Prophet (saw) led his Companions in the fear prayer. He led them all in bowing, then the Messenger of Allah (saw) and the row nearest him prostrated, and the others stood up, then when he stood up, they prostrated twice by themselves. Then the front row moved back and took their place, and they moved forward until they formed the front row. Then the Prophet (saw) led them all in bowing, then the Messenger of Allah (saw) and the row nearest to him prostrated, and when they raised their heads, the others prostrated twice. So all of them bowed with the Prophet (saw) and some of them prostrated by themselves, and the enemy was in the direction of the Qiblah.

We came to Jabir ibn Abdullah who was sitting in his mosque. He said: The Messenger of Allah (saws) came to us in this mosque and he had a twig of date-palm of the kind of Ibn Tab. He looked and saw phlegm on the wall towards qiblah. He turned to it and scraped it with the twig.

He then said: Who of you likes that Allah turns His face from him? He further said: When any of you stands for praying, Allah faces him. So he should not spit before him, nor on his right side. He should spit on his left side under his left foot. If he is in a hurry (i.e. forced to spit immediately), he should do with his cloth in this manner. He then placed the cloth on his mouth and rubbed it off.

He then said: Bring perfume. A young man of the tribe stood and hurried to his house and returned with perfume in his palm. The Messenger of Allah (saws) took it and put it at the end of the twig. He then stained the mark of phlegm with it.

Jabir said: This is the reason you use perfume in your mosques.

I purposely looked at the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (saws), how he offered it. The Messenger of Allah (saws) stood up, faced the direction of the qiblah and uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) and then raised his hands in front of his ears, then placed his right hand on his left (catching each other).

When he was about to bow, he raised them in the same manner. He then placed his hands on his knees. When he raised his head after bowing, he raised them in the like manner. When he prostrated himself he placed his forehead between his hands.

He then sat down and spread his left foot and placed his left hand on his left thigh, and kept his right elbow aloof from his right thigh. He closed his two fingers and made a circle (with the fingers).

I (Asim ibn Kulayb) saw him (Bishr ibn al-Mufaddal) say in this manner. Bishr made the circle with the thumb and the middle finger and pointed with the forefinger.

When [he (SAW)] traveled, and intended to pray a voluntary prayer, he used to direct his riding camel towards the Qiblah, say, "Allahu Akbar" and pray facing whatever direction it faced. [Its chain is Hasan (good)].

l heard 'Umar bin al-Khattab say: When the Revelation came down to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), a sound could be heard near his face like the buzzing of bees. We waited a while, then he turned to face the qiblah and raised his hands, then he said: “O Allah, give us more (blessing) and do not give us less; honour us and do not humiliate us, give to us and do not deprive us, give precedence to us and do not give others precedence over us; be pleased with us and make us pleased.” Then he said: “Ten verses have been revealed to me; whoever adheres to thern will enter Paradise.” Then he recited to us: “Successful indeed are the believers” [al-Mu'minoon 23:1] until he completed the ten verses.

`Umar bin al-Khattab was in al-Jabiyah and he mentioned the conquest of Baitul-Maqdis (Jerusalem). Then Abu Salamah said: Abu Sinan told me, from `Ubaid bin Adam that he said: I heard `Umar bin al-Khattab say to Ka`b: Where do you think I should pray? He said: It you listen to me, you will pray behind the rock and all of al-Quds (Jerusalem) will be in front of you. `Umar said: You are suggesting something similar to the Jewish way; rather I shall pray where the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed. He went forward to the qiblah and prayed, then he came and spread his upper garment and swept the place, collecting garbage in his upper garment, and the people swept it too.

When the inspiration was sent down to the Prophet, a low sound was heard near his face like the humming of bees. One day when inspiration was sent down to him and we had waited for a time, it left him, then facing the qibla and raising his hands, he said, “O God, give us more and do not give us less; honour us and do not humiliate us; give us and do not withhold from us; choose us and do not prefer others to us; please us and be pleased with us.” He then said, “I have had sent down to me ten verses which will provide entrance to paradise for those who recite them.” He then recited, “The believers have been successful” and continued till he had completed ten verses, 1 1. Qur'an, xxiii, 1-10. Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Humaid as-Sa'idi said among a company of the companions of God’s Messenger, “I am the one among you who is best versed in the way God’s Messenger prayed. I saw that when he uttered the takbir he placed his hands opposite his shoulders; when he bowed he rested his hands on his knees, then bent his back; when he raised his head he stood erect with his spine straight; when he prostrated himself he placed his arms so that they were not spread out, and the fingers were not drawn in, and the points of his toes were facing the qibla; when he sat up at the end of two rak'as he sat on his left foot and raised the right; and when he sat up after the last rak'a he put forward the left foot, raised the other, and sat on his hips.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Then when he finished he faced the people and said, “O people, I have done this only that you should be guided by me and know how I conduct prayer.”

“The Messenger of Allah (saw) offered prayer, and I am not sure whether he did something extra or omitted something. He asked, and we told him, so he turned to face the Qiblah and prostrated twice, then he said the Salam. Then he turned to face us and said: ‘If any new command has been revealed concerning the prayer, I would certainly have told you. But I am only human and I forget and you forget. If I forget, then remind me. And if anyone of you is uncertain about the prayer, let him do what is closest to what is correct, then complete the prayer, say the Salam and prostrate twice.”