I noticed the prayer of Muhammad (may peace be upon him) and saw his Qiyam (standing), his bowing, and then going back to the standing posture after bowing, his prostration, his sitting between the two prostrations, and his prostration and sitting between salutation and going away, all these were nearly equal to one another.

The most eminent among human beings (as a recipient of) reward (is one) who lives farthest away, and who has to walk the farthest distance, and he who waits for the prayer to observe it along with the Imam, his reward is greater than one who prays (alone) and then goes to sleep. In the narration of Abu Kuraib (the words are):" (He waits) till he prays along with the Imam in congregation."

"I watched the Messenger of Allah (SAW)- twenty times- reciting in the two rak'ahs after maghrib 'Say: O you disbelievers' and 'Say: He is Allah, (the) One.'"

I used to observe prayer with the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) and his prayer was of moderate length and his sermon too was of moderate length.

I observed the Prophet (PBUH) for one month reciting in the two supererogatory Rak'ah of the Fajr prayer Surat Al-Kafirun (No. 109) [in the first Rak'ah], and Surat Al-Ikhlas (No. 112) [in the second Rak'ah].

[At-Tirmidhi].

A bedouin came to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said to him, "When will be the Hour (i.e., the Day of Resurrection)?" He (the Prophet (PBUH)) said, "What preparation have you made for it?" He said, "Only the love of Allah and His Messenger." Then Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "You will be with those whom you love."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The narration in Muslim is: The man replied: "I have made no significant preparation with regard to Salat (prayer), Saum (fasting) and Sadaqah (charity) but I love Allah and His Messenger".

I was a young boy during the time of the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) and I retained in my mind (what I learnt from him), and nothing restrained me from speaking except the fact that there were persons far more advanced in age than I. Verily, I said prayer behind the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) over a woman who had died in the state of delivery, and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) stood up to say prayer in front of the middle part of her body. And in the tradition narrated on the authority of Ibn Muthanna the words are:" (The Holy Prophet) stood in the middle part of her body for offering prayer for her."

It was narrated from Al-Mughirah Ibn Shu'bah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ wiped upon the two cloth socks and the two sandals. الْمُغِيرَةِ بْنِ شُعْبَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَسَحَ عَلَى الْجَوْرَبَيْنِ وَالنَّعْلَيْنِ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ مَا نَعْلَمُ أَحَدًا تَابَعَ أَبَا قَيْسٍ عَلَى هَذِهِ الرِّوَايَةِ وَالصَّحِيحُ عَنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَسَحَ عَلَى الْخُفَّيْنِ ‏.‏

We entered into the state of Ihram with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) for Hajj Mufrad and in the narration of Ibn 'Aun (the words are):" Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) entered into the state of Ihram (with the intention) of Hajj Mufrad."

"I witnessed Salat-al-Khauf with Allah's Messenger (SAW) and we lined up in two rows behind him with the enemy between us and the Qiblah. The Prophet (SAW) uttered the Takbir and we all uttered it; then he bowed and we all bowed; then he raised his head after bowing and we all raised ours; then he and the row immediately behind him went down in prostration while the rear row stood facing the enemy. Then, when Allah's Messenger (SAW) finished the prostration and the row immediately behind him stood up..." then he mentioned the Hadith.

And in a narration "Then he prostrated and the first row prostrated with him. So when they stood, the second row prostrated then the first row went back and the second row came forward..." then he mentioned a similar to it.

And at the end of it "Then the Prophet (SAW) uttered the Taslim (salutation) and we all did so." [Reported by Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe prayers like your prayers, but he would delay the prayer after nightfall to a little after the time you observed it, and he would shorten the prayer.

When we were with Fadala b. 'Ubaid in the country of the Romans at a place (known as) Rudis, a friend of ours died. Fadala b. 'Ubaid ordered to prepare a grave for him and then it was levelled; and then he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) commanding (us) to level the grave.

The sun eclipsed during the time of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him). He stood in great anxiety fearing that it might be the Doomsday, till he came to the mosque. He stood up to pray with prolonged qiyam, ruku', and prostration which I never saw him doing in prayer; and then he said: These are the signs which Allah sends, not on account of the death of anyone or life of any one, but Allah sends them to frighten thereby His servants. So when you see any such thing, hasten to remember Him, supplicate Him and beg pardon from Him, and in the narration transmitted by Ibn 'Ala the words are:" The sun eclipsed"."" He frightens His servants."

"I watched the Prophet (S) for a month. In the two Rak'ah before Fajr he would recite: Say: "O you disbelievers!" and Say: "Allah is One"."

I witnessed Muhammed(may peace be upon him) –Abu Kamil’s version has the wording: The Messenger of Allah(may peace be upon him)-during his prayer. I found his standing like his bowing and prostration and his moderation in bowing was like that of his prostration, and his sitting between the two prostration and his prostration(and his sitting between the salutation) and going away( after finishing the prayer) were nearly equal to one another.

Abu Dawud said: Musaddad said: His bowing and his moderation in bowing and prostration, and his prostration and his sitting between the two prostrations, and his prostration and sitting between the salutation and going away (after finishing the prayer) were nearly equal.

The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to begin prayer with takbir (saying Allahu Akbar) and the recitation: "Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe." When he bowed he neither kept his head up nor bent it down, but kept it between these extremes; when he raised his head after bowing he did not prostrate himself till he had stood erect; when he raised his head after prostration he did not prostrate himself again till he sat up. At the end of every two rak'ahs he recited the tahiyya; and he used to place his left foot flat (on the ground) and raise up the right; he prohibited the devil's way of sitting on the heels, and he forbade people to spread out their arms like a wild beast. And he used to finish the prayer with the taslim.

Jarir reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When a slave runs away his prayer is not accepted.” In a version on his authority he said, “If any slave runs away protection does not apply to him.” In another version on his authority he said, “If any slave runs away from his masters he has become an infidel till he returns to them.” Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said God’s Messenger forbade that a man should sit during prayer leaning on his hand. Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it, and in a version by Abu Dawud it says he forbade that a man should lean on his hands when he got up during the prayer.

Ibn ‘Umar said, “When travelling I prayed along with the Prophet two rak'as at the noon prayer and two after it.” In a version he said, “I prayed with the Prophet both when resident and when travelling. When resident I prayed along with him four rak'as at the noon prayer and two after it, and when travelling two at it and two after it; two rak'as at the afternoon prayer after which he prayed no more; and both when resident and travelling alike three rak'as at the sunset prayer, in which he never prayed less whether resident or travelling, this being the witr of the daytime. After it he prayed two rak'as.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Al-Sa'b b. Jaththama presented to the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) the leg of a wild ass. And in the narration transmitted by Shu'ba (the words are): (He presented to him) the rump of a wild ass as the blood was trickling from it. In the narration transmitted by Shu'ba on the authority of Habib (the words are): A part of a wild ass was presented to the Apostle (may peace he upon him) and he returned it to him (who presented it).

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Shall I not guide you to something for which God blots out sins and raises men's ranks?” When his hearers expressed their desire that he should tell them, he said, “Performing complete ablution although circumstances make it difficult, travelling far to mosques, and looking expectantly to the next time of prayer after prayers have been said. That is the defence of the frontier.”* The tradition of Malik b. Anas has, “That is the defence of the frontier; that is the defence of the frontier. He repeated it twice.” *Here meant in a spiritual sense, as a defence against infidelity and wrongdoing. Muslim transmitted it. Tirmidhi’s version has thrice.

When you face the qibla say the takbir; then recite Umm al-Qur’an* and what God wishes you to recite; when you bow place the palms of your hands on your knees, bowing completely and stretching out your back; when you raise yourself straighten your spine and raise your head so as to adopt an erect position; when you prostrate yourself do it completely; when you raise yourself sit on your left thigh; do that every time you bow and prostrate yourself till you are at rest, having finished your prayer. This is the wording of al-Masabih. *The first sura. Abu Dawud transmitted it with a slight alteration, and Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmitted something to the same effect. In a version by Tirmidhi he said, “When you get up to pray perform the ablution as God commanded you, then say the shahada (The testimony that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is His messenger) and proceed with the prayer. If you know any of the Qur’an recite it, otherwise say, ‘Praise be to God; God is most great; there is no god but God.’ Then bow.”

Ka‘b b. ‘Ujra said that the Prophet came to the mosque of the B. ‘Abd al-Ashhal and prayed the sunset prayer in it. When the people finished their prayer he saw them performing tasbih after it and said, “This is the prayer to be observed at home.”* * This refers to supererogatory prayers. Tasbih is the utterance of 'Glory be to God!’ Abu Dawud transmitted it. In the version by Tirmidhi and Nasa’i it says that the people got up and offered supererogatory prayers, whereupon the Prophet said, “Observe this prayer at home.”

I spent a night with my maternal aunt Maimuna when the Prophet was with her. After talking to his family for a time he had a sleep, then when the last third of the night came, or a little later, he sat up, looked at the sky, and recited, “In the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day there are indeed signs for people of understanding,"(Al-Qur’an; 3:190) to the end of the sura. Then getting up and going to the bucket, he loosened its cord and poured some water into a bowl, then performed a good ablution between the two extremes, not going to great length, and when he had done it fully he stood up and prayed. I got up, and when I had performed ablution I stood at his left side, whereupon he took me by the ear and made me go round to his right side. His prayer was altogether thirteen rak'as. Then he lay down and slept, and he snored as was his custom. When Bilal made the call to prayer for him he prayed without performing ablution, and his supplication included these words, “O God, place light in my heart, light in my eyesight, light in my hearing, light on my right hand, light on my left hand, light above me, light below me, light in front of me, light behind me, and grant me light." Some added, “and light in my tongue," and mentioned, “my joints, my flesh, my blood, my hair, my skin." (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version by both of them he said, “Place light in my soul, and give me abundant light." In another by Muslim he said, “O God, give me light."

The Prophet (PBUH) used to perform two Rak'ah short prayer between the Adhan (call to prayer) and the Iqamah of the dawn (Fajr) prayers.

[Al- Bukhari and Muslim]

In another narration, 'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to perform two supererogatory Rak'ah prayer of Fajr and make them so short in duration that I used to think whether he (PBUH) had recited Surat Al-Fatihah (in it) or not.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

In the narration of Muslim, 'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to hear the Adhan (of Fajr prayer) he would perform two supererogatory Rak'ah prayer and would make them short.

The Prophet (PBUH) said, "A person will be summoned with the one whom he loves".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Another narration is: The Prophet (PBUH) was asked; "What about a person who loves a people but cannot be with them?" (i.e., either he cannot attain their lofty position of righteousness or that he has not met with them in this life). He (PBUH) replied, "A person will be in the company of those whom he loves".

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, "When the iqama has been pronounced for prayer, do not go running to it, but go walking in tranquility, and pray what you are in time for and complete what you have missed.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) A version by Muslim has, "for when one of you is making for prayer he is engaged in prayer.”

Direct me to a deed which draws me near to Paradise and takes me away from the Fire (of Hell). Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: You worship Allah and never associate anything with Him, establish prayer, and pay Zakat, and do good to your kin. When he turned his back, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) remarked: If he adheres to what he has been ordered to do, he would enter Paradise.

'Abdullah (b. 'Umar) went and I along with the person belonging to Banu Laith entered (the house) of Sa'id al-Khudri, and he ('Abdullah b. Umar) said: I have been informed that you say that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) forbade the sale of silver with silver except in case of like for like, and sale of gold for gold except in case of like for like. Abu Sa'id pointed towards this eyes and his ears with his fingers and said: My eyes saw, and my ears listened to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) saying: Do not sell gold for gold, and do not sell silver for silver except in case of like for like, and do not increase something of it upon something, and do not sell for ready money something, not present, but hand to hand.

'Abdallah b. Abu Aufa reported God’s Messenger as saying, “God is with the qadi as long as he is not tyrannical, but when he is He departs from him and the devil attaches himself to him.” A version has, “When he is tyrannical He leaves him to his own devices.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibu ‘Umar said he asked Bilal how the Prophet responded to them when they greeted him while he was engaged in prayer, and he replied, “He used to make a sign with his hand.” Tirmidhi transmitted it. In Nasa'i’s version there is something similar, but Suhaib occurs instead of Bilal.

Umm Habiba said she was married to ‘Abdallah b. Jahsh who died in Abyssinia, so the Negus married her to the Prophet, giving her on his behalf a dower of four thousand. (A version has four thousand dirhams.) He sent her to God’s Messenger with Shurahbil b. Hasana. Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Nafi‘ Abu Ghalib said he prayed along with Anas b. Malik at a man's funeral and he stood opposite his head. Then some people brought along the bier of a woman of Quraish and said, “Abu Hamza (The kunya of Anas b. Malik, the Prophet’s servant), pray over her,” and he stood opposite the middle of the bier. Al-‘Ala’ b. Ziyad said to him, “Thus did I see God’s messenger do. He stood over the bier in the same position as you did in relation to her and in the same position as you did in relation to the man.” He replied, “That is so.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it. In Abu Dawud’s version there is something similar, along with an addition containing the words “He stood at the woman’s buttocks.”