The Book of the Commencement of the Prayer

"‏ لَقَدْ أُوتِيَ هَذَا مِنْ مَزَامِيرِ آلِ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ‏"

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) heard the recitation of Abu Musa and said: 'This man has been given a Mizmar among the Mazamir of the family of Dawud, peace be upon him.'"

"‏ لَقَدْ أُوتِيَ هَذَا مِزْمَارًا مِنْ مَزَامِيرِ آلِ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ‏"

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) heard the recitation of Abu Musa and said: 'This man has been given a Mizmar among the Mazamir of the family of Dawud, peace be upon him.'"

أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ، عَنْ يَعْلَى بْنِ مَمْلَكٍ، أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ عَنْ قِرَاءَةِ، رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَصَلاَتِهِ قَالَتْ مَا لَكُمْ وَصَلاَتَهُ ثُمَّ نَعَتَتْ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَنْعَتُ قِرَاءَتَهُ مُفَسَّرَةً حَرْفًا حَرْفًا ‏.‏

He asked Umm Salamah about the recitation and prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and she said: "Why do you want to know about his prayer?" Then she described his recitation and as being so measured and clear that each letter could be distinguished.

أَخْبَرَنَا سُوَيْدُ بْنُ نَصْرٍ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، عَنْ يُونُسَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، حِينَ اسْتَخْلَفَهُ مَرْوَانُ عَلَى الْمَدِينَةِ كَانَ إِذَا قَامَ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ كَبَّرَ ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ حِينَ يَرْكَعُ فَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرَّكْعَةِ قَالَ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ حِينَ يَهْوِي سَاجِدًا ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ حِينَ يَقُومُ مِنَ الثِّنْتَيْنِ بَعْدَ التَّشَهُّدِ يَفْعَلُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ صَلاَتَهُ فَإِذَا قَضَى صَلاَتَهُ وَسَلَّمَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْمَسْجِدِ فَقَالَ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنِّي لأَشْبَهُكُمْ صَلاَةً بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏

Marwan appointed Abu Hurairah as governor of Al-Madinah. When he stood to offer an obligatory prayer, he would say the takbir, then he said the takbir when he bowed, and when he raised his head from bowing he said: "Sami' Allahu liman hamidah, Rabbana wa lakal-hamd (Allah hears those who praise Him; our Lord, and to You be the praise)." Then he would say the takbir when he went down in prostration, then he said the takbir when he stood up after two rak'ahs, after saying the Tashahhud, and he did that until he had finished the prayer. When he had finished his prayer and said the Salam, he turned to the people in the masjid and said: "By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, I am the one among you whose prayer most closely resembles that of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)."

أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ نَصْرِ بْنِ عَاصِمٍ اللَّيْثِيِّ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ الْحُوَيْرِثِ، قَالَ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ إِذَا كَبَّرَ وَإِذَا رَكَعَ وَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ حَتَّى بَلَغَتَا فُرُوعَ أُذُنَيْهِ ‏.‏

"I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) raise his hands until they reached the highest part of his ears, when he said the takbir, when he bowed and when he raised his head from bowing."

أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ سَالِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا افْتَتَحَ الصَّلاَةَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يُحَاذِيَ مَنْكِبَيْهِ وَإِذَا رَكَعَ وَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ ‏.‏

His father said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when he started to pray, raise his hands until they were parallel to his shoulders, (and he did that) when he bowed and when he raised his head from bowing."

أَخْبَرَنَا سُوَيْدُ بْنُ نَصْرٍ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ كُلَيْبٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الأَسْوَدِ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ أَلاَ أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِصَلاَةِ، رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ فَقَامَ فَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ ثُمَّ لَمْ يُعِدْ ‏.‏

"Shall I not tell you about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)? He stood and raised his hands the first time and then he did not do that again."

"‏ لاَ تُجْزِئُ صَلاَةٌ لاَ يُقِيمُ الرَّجُلُ فِيهَا صُلْبَهُ فِي الرُّكُوعِ وَالسُّجُودِ ‏"

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The prayer is not valid if a man does not bring his backbone to rest while bowing and prostrating.'"

"‏ اعْتَدِلُوا فِي الرُّكُوعِ وَالسُّجُودِ وَلاَ يَبْسُطْ أَحَدُكُمْ ذِرَاعَيْهِ كَالْكَلْبِ ‏"

"Be moderate in bowing and prostration, and do not rest your forearms along the ground like a dog."

أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سَالِمٌ، ح وَأَخْبَرَنِي أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ، - هُوَ ابْنُ سَعِيدٍ - عَنْ شُعَيْبٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ، - وَهُوَ الزُّهْرِيُّ - قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي سَالِمُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا افْتَتَحَ التَّكْبِيرَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حِينَ يُكَبِّرُ حَتَّى يَجْعَلَهُمَا حَذْوَ مَنْكِبَيْهِ وَإِذَا كَبَّرَ لِلرُّكُوعِ فَعَلَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ إِذَا قَالَ ‏"‏ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَعَلَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ وَقَالَ ‏"‏ رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَلاَ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ حِينَ يَسْجُدُ وَلاَ حِينَ يَرْفَعُ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ السُّجُودِ ‏.‏

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when he said the opening Takbir of the prayer, raise his hands until they were level with his shoulders. When he said the Takbir before bowing he did likewise, and when he said: 'Sami Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears those who praise Him),' he did likewise, then he said: 'Rabbana wa lakal-hamd (Our Lord, to You be praise).' But he did not do that when he prostrated or when he raised his head from prostration.