2.

Book of Prayer

٢-

كتاب الصلاة

Sayyiduna Abu Humayd As-Sa'idi (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Among the ten companions who were with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Abu Humayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'I have the most knowledge of the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) among all of you.'" They said: "How is that? You are not more of a follower of him (peace and blessings be upon him) than us, nor have you stayed with him longer than us!" He said: "Yes, that is so." They said: "Then tell us." Sayyiduna Abu Humayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up for prayer, he would raise his hands up to his shoulders, then say 'Allahu Akbar' until all his joints were straightened. Then he would recite (the Quran). Then he would say 'Allahu Akbar' and raise both his hands up to his shoulders. Then he would go into bowing (ruku') and place both his palms on both his knees, until every bone returned to its original state. And he would not raise his head nor lower it (in bowing) (but keep it straight with his back). Then he would raise his head (from bowing) saying, 'Sami'Allahu liman Hamidah (Allah hears those who praise Him),' and raise his hands up to his shoulders." Abu Asim said: "I think they also said: '(He would stand straight after bowing)' until every bone (joint) returned to its place (original state)." (Abu Humayd continued): "Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) would say 'Allahu Akbar' and go into prostration (sujud) and keep both his hands (arms) away from his sides. Then he would raise his head from prostration and turn his left foot and sit on it. And when he would prostrate, he would keep the toes of his feet spread. Then he would do the second prostration. Then he would raise his head from prostration saying, 'Allahu Akbar,' and turn his left foot and sit properly on it until every bone (joint) returned to its original state (i.e. he would sit at-Tashahhud with calmness and tranquility). "Then he would stand up and do the same in the second rak'ah. And when he stood up for the third rak'ah, he would raise his hands up to his shoulders as he did when starting the prayer. Then he would complete his prayer in the same manner. Even when he sat for the final Tashahhud or Qa'dah in which he would have to turn for Salam, he would take out his left foot (from under his right foot) and sit facing the left side." The narrator said: "All ten companions said: 'You have spoken the truth. This was exactly the way of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) prayer.'"

Sayyiduna Wa'il ibn Hujr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I decided in my heart that I would definitely see how the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed. So I watched him: he stood up, said Allahu Akbar and raised both his hands to his ears (i.e. performed the Raising of the Hands), and placed his right hand over his left hand. Then, when he intended to bow (ruku'), he raised his hands in the same way (performed the Raising of the Hands) and (in ruku') placed both his hands on his knees. Then, when he raised his head from bowing, he performed the Raising of the Hands, then when he prostrated (sujud), he placed his hands level with his ears. Then (rising from prostration) when he sat, he spread his left foot (on the ground) and placed his left hand on his left thigh and knee, and placed his right elbow on his right thigh. Then he made a circle by bending two fingers (i.e., the thumb and middle finger) and kept his index finger upright. I saw him moving it as if he were supplicating with a gesture. Sayyiduna Wa'il, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Then I came after a long time in winter and saw that people were (dressed) in cloaks and were moving their hands inside their cloaks (for the Raising of the Hands).

Hattan bin Abdullah Raqashi said: Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash'ari, may Allah be pleased with him, led us in one of the two Isha prayers (meaning Maghrib or Isha). A man from the congregation said: "Prayer has been made obligatory along with righteousness and Zakah." When Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash'ari, may Allah be pleased with him, finished the prayer, he said: "Who said that?" Everyone remained silent, so Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash'ari, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "O Hattan! Maybe you said that?" I said: "No, I didn't say that (prayer is obligatory with righteousness), and how could I say that? I was afraid that you would be angry with me (for my reproach)." A man said: "I said this, and my intention was good, meaning that when a person prays, he should also do good deeds and give Zakat (and Allah knows best)." Then Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash'ari, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "You don't know what you are saying in your prayer. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, delivered a sermon and taught us prayer and explained his Sunnah." The narrator said: "I think he said: You, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'When the Iqamah for prayer is pronounced, then one of you should lead the prayer. So when he, the Imam, says 'Allahu Akbar,' you also say 'Allahu Akbar.' And when he says 'Ghairil maghdubi alaihim walad-dallin,' then you say 'Ameen,' may Allah accept it. Then when he says 'Allahu Akbar' and goes into Ruku' (bowing), you also say 'Allahu Akbar' and go into Ruku'. Keep in mind that the Imam will go into Ruku' before you, and you will follow the Imam and go into Ruku' later, and when you raise your head from Ruku', the Imam will raise his head (from Ruku') before you." The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Your doing so is in accordance with the Imam's Ruku' etc. So when the Imam says 'Sami'allahu liman hamidah,' then you say 'Allahumma Rabbana wa lakal hamd'" or he said "Say 'Rabbana lakal hamd' because Allah Almighty has said in the tongue of His Prophet 'Sami'allahu liman hamidah (meaning Allah heard or accepted the prayer of the one who praised Him). Then when the Imam says 'Allahu Akbar' and goes into prostration, you also say 'Allahu Akbar' (after him) and go into prostration. The Imam will go into prostration before you and will raise his head from prostration before you." The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "When the Imam does this, you do the same. Then when the Imam sits in the sitting posture (Tashahhud), you first say 'Attahiyyatu lillahi wassalawatu wattayyibatu, assalamu alaika ayyuhan Nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu, assalamu alaina wa'ala ibadillahis-salihin, ash'hadu an la ilaha illallahu wa ash'hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh."