Yahya related to me from Malik that Ibn Shihab used to say, "When a man catches the raka he says, 'Allah is greater' once, and that takbir is enough for him."

Malik added, "That is if he intended to begin the prayer by that takbir "

Malik was asked about a man who began with the imam but forgot the opening takbir and the takbir of the ruku until he had done one raka. Then he remembered that he had not said the takbir at the opening nor in the ruku,so he said the takbir in the second raka. He said, "I prefer that he start his prayer again, but if he forgets the opening takbir with the imam and says the takbir in the first ruku, I consider that enough for him if he intends by it the opening takbir."

Malik said, about some one who prayed by himself and forgot the opening takbir, "He begins his prayer afresh ."

Malik said, about an imam who forgot the opening takbir until he had finished his prayer, "I think that he should do the prayer again, and those behind him, even if they have said the takbir."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that he had heard that on the day after the day of sacrifice Umar ibn al-Khattab went out a little after the sun had risen and said the takbir, and everyone repeated it after him. Then he went out a second time the same day when the sun was well up and said the takbir, and everyone repeated it after him. Then he went out a third time after mid-day and said the takbir, and everyone repeated it after him until it resounded from group to group until it reached the House and people knew that Umar had left to throw the stones.

Malik said, "What we do here (in Madina) is to say the takbir during the days of tashriq after each prayer. The first time is when the imam and everyone with him says the takbir after the dhuhr prayer on the day of sacrifice, and the last is when the imam and everyone with him says the takbir after subh on the last of the days of tashriq, after which he stops saying the takbir."

Malik said, "The takbirs during the days of tashriq should be done by both men and women, whether they are in a group or by themselves, at Mina or elsewhere, and all of the takbirs should be done. In this everyone follows the imam of the hajj and the people at Mina, because when everyone returns (to Makka) and comes out of ihram they keep the same people as imams while out of ihram (as they did when they were in ihram). Some one who is not doing hajj does not follow them except for the takbirs during the days of tashriq."

Malik said, "The 'limited number of days' are the days of tashriq."

Yahya related to me from Malik that Nafi, the mawla of Abdullah ibn Umar said, "I was at Adha and Fitr with Abu Hurayra and he said 'Allah is greater' seven times in the first raka, before the recitation, and five times in the second, before the recitation."

Allah's Apostle used to keep silent between the Takbir and the recitation of Qur'an and that interval of silence used to be a short one. I said to the Prophet "May my parents be sacrificed for you! What do you say in the pause between Takbir and recitation?" The Prophet said, "I say, 'Allahumma, baa`id baini wa baina khatayaya kama baa`adta baina l-mashriqi wa l-maghrib. Allahumma, naqqini min khatayaya kama yunaqqa th-thawbu l-abyadu mina d-danas. Allahumma, ighsil khatayaya bi l-maa'i wa th-thalji wa l-barad (O Allah! Set me apart from my sins (faults) as the East and West are set apart from each other and clean me from sins as a white garment is cleaned of dirt (after thorough washing). O Allah! Wash off my sins with water, snow and hail.)"

Yahya related to me that Malik asked Ibn Shihab about a man who caught some of the takbirs said over the corpse and missed the rest, and Ibn Shihab said, "He completes what he has missed."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Nuaym Wahb ibn Kaysan that Jabir ibn Abdullah used to teach them the takbir in the prayer. Abu Nuaym said, "He used to tell us to say 'Allah is greater' whenever we lowered or raised ourselves."

Yahya related to me from Malik, from Yahya ibn Said, that Umar ibn Abd alAziz was once going from Mina (to Arafa) on the day of Arafa and heard the takbir being said loudly, so he sent the guard to shout out to the people, "O people, you should be saying the talbiya."

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Jabir with a slight variation of wording.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) would say the takbir (Allah is most great) seven times in the first rak'ah and five times in the second rak'ah on the day of the breaking of the fast and on the day of sacrifice (on the occasion of both the 'Id prayers, the two festivals).

An imam of ours, whose kunyah (surname) was AbuRimthah, led us in prayer and said: I prayed this prayer, or one like it, with the Prophet (saws). AbuBakr and Umar were standing in the front row on his right and there was a man who had been present at the first takbir in the prayer. The Prophet of Allah (saws) offered the prayer, then gave the salutation to his right and his left so that we saw the whiteness of his cheeks, then turned away as AbuRimthah (meaning himself) had done.

The man who has been present with him at the first takbir in the prayer then got up to pray another prayer, whereupon Umar leaped up and, seizing him by the shoulders, shook him and said: Sit down, for the People of the Book perished for no other reason than that there was no interval between their prayers.

The Prophet (saws) raised his eyes and said: Allah has made you say what is right, son of al-Khattab.

Abu Dawud said: Sometimes the name of Abu Umayyah is narrated instead of Abu Rimthah.

The Prophet (saws) commanded them (the women emigrants) to be regular (in remembering Allah by saying): "Allah is most great"; "Glory be to the King, the Holy"; "there is no god but Allah"; and that they should count them on fingers, for they (the fingers) will be questioned and asked to speak.

The key to prayer is purification; its beginning is takbir and its end is taslim.

The Prophet (saws) said: The key of prayer is purification; takbir (saying "Allah is most great") makes (all acts which break prayer) unlawful and taslim (uttering the salutation) makes (all such acts) lawful.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Said ibn al- Musayyab from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, announced the death of an Najashi to everyone on the day that he died, and went out with them to the place of prayer, and then formed them into rows and said "Allah is greater" four times.

Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) gave the people news of the death of Negus on the day he died, and he took them out to the place of prayer and observed four takbirs.

Abu Sa`id led us in the prayer and said the Takbir aloud on arising from the prostration, and on prostrating, on rising again, and on getting up from the second rak`a. Abu Sa`id said, "I saw the Prophet doing the same."

I prayed behind a Sheikh at Mecca and he said twenty two Takbirs (during the prayer). I told Ibn `Abbas that he (i.e. that Sheikh) was foolish. Ibn `Abbas admonished me and said, "This is the tradition of Abul-Qasim."

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Umar through another chain of transmitters (but with one alteration) that here Allah-o-Akbar is mentioned twice.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, returned from a military expedition or a hajj or an umra, he used to say three takbirs on every elevated part of the land, and then he used to say, "There is no god but Allah, alone, without partner. To Him belongs the Kingdom and to Him belongs the praise and He has power over everything. Returning, making tawba, serving, prostrating, praising our Lord. Allah has promised truly and given His slave victory and defeated the tribes alone."

I saw Allah's Apostle opening the prayer with the Takbir and raising his hands to the level of his shoulders at the time of saying the Takbir, and on saying the Takbir for bowing he did the same; and when he said, "Sami`a l-lahu liman hamidah ", he did the same and then said, "Rabbana wa laka lhamd." But he did not do the same on prostrating and on lifting the head from it."