2.

Prayer

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كتاب الصلاة

. Abu Humaid al-Sa’idi once told a company of ten of the companions of the Apostle of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم); Abu Qatada (رضي الله تعالى عنه) was one of them : I am one among you who is more informed of the way the Apostle of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) prayed. They said : Why, By Allah, you did not follow him more than us, nor did you remain in his company longer than us? He said : Yes. They said : Then describe (how the Prophet ﷺ prayed). He said : When the Apostle of Allah ( صلى هللا عليه و آله وسلم) stood up to pray, he raised his hands so as to bring them opposite his shoulders, and said the takbir ( َُّ ُ أَكْبَراللَّ), until every bone rested in its place properly. Then he recited (some verses from the Quran); then he said the takbir ( ُ َّاللَّ ُأَكْبَر), raising his hands so as to bring them opposite his shoulders; then he bowed placing the palms of his hands on his knees and keeping himself straight, neither raising nor lowering his head; then raised his head saying - ََّ ُ لِمَنْ حسَمِعَ َّللا ُمِدَه [Allah listens to him who praise Him]; then raised his hands so as to bring them exactly opposite to his shoulders; then said, “ َُّ ُ أَكْبَراللَّ”; then lowered himself to the ground (in prostration), keeping his arms away from his sides; then raised his head, bent his left foot and sat on it, and opened the toes when he prostrated. Then he said “ َُّ ُ أَكْبَراللَّ”; then raised his head, bent his left foot and sat on it so that every bone returned to its place properly. Then he did the same in the second (rak’a). At the end of the two Rak’a he stood up and said the takbir ( َُّ ُ أَكْبَراللَّ), raising his hands so as to bring them opposite to his shoulders; then he bowed, placing the palms of his hands on his knees and keeping himself straight, neither raising or lowering his head. Then raised his head saying - َُّ ُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهسَمِعَ َّللا [Allah listens to him who praises Him]; then raised his hands so as to bring them exactly opposite his shoulders; then said “ َُّ ُ أَكْبَراللَّ”; then lowered himself to the ground (in prostration), keeping his arms away from his sides; then raised his head, bent his left foot and sat on it, and opened the toes when he prostrated himself. Then he prostrated and said : “ َُّ ُ أَكْبَراللَّ”; then raised his head, bent his left foot and sat on it so that every bone returned to its place properly. Then he did the same in the second (rak’a). At the end of two rak’a he stood up and said the takbir ( ُ َّاللَّ ُأَكْبَر), raising his hands so as to bring them opposite to his shoulders in the way he had uttered the Takbir ( َُّ ُ أَكْبَراللَّ) at the beginning of the prayer; then he did that in the remainder of his prayer; and after prostration which if followed by the taslim (salutation) he took out his left foot and sat on his left hip. They said : You have spoken the truth. This is how the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) used to pray.