Sunan Abi Dawud

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: (Does) one of you kneel down in his prayer as a camel kneels down (i.e. put his knees before his hands).

Abu sulaiman malik b. al-Huwairith came to our mosque and said: By Allah, I Shall offer prayer; and I do not intend to pray, but I intend to show you how I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offering prayer. He (the narrator Ayyub) said: I asked Abu Qilabah: How did he pray? He replied: Like the prayer of this head after the last prostration in the first rak’ah, he used to sit, and then stand up.

Abu Sulaiman Malik b. al-Huwairth came to our mosque, and said: By Allah, I Shall offer prayer, though I do not intend to pray; I only intend to show you how I saw the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) praying. The narrator said: ( He then prayed and ) he sat at the end of the first rak’ah when he raised his head after the last prostration.

Malik b. al-Huwairith saw that the prophet (may peace by upon him) would not stand at the end of the first or the third rak’ah until he sat down straight.

we asked Ibn ‘Abbas about sitting on heels between the two prostrations. He said: It is the sunnah. We said: We look upon it as a pressure on the foot. He said: This is the sunnah of your Prophet(ﷺ)

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) raised his head after bowing, he said: Allah listens to him who praises Him. O Allah, our lord, to Thee be the praise in the heavens and in all the earth, and all that it please Thee to create afterwards. Abu Dawud said: Sufyan al-Thawri and Shu’bah b. al-Hajjaj reported on authority of Ubaid b. al-Hasan: There is no mention of the words “after bowing” in this tradition. Sufyan said: we met al-shaikh ‘Ubaid b. al-Hasan; he did not say the words “bowing” in it. Abu dawud said: Shu’bah narrated this from Abi ‘Ismah, from al-A’mash, on the authority of ‘Ubaid, saying: “after bowing”.

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “ Allah listens to him who praises Him,” he also said: O Allah, our Lord, to thee be the praise in all heavens. Mu’ammil said( in his version); “ In all the heavens, and in all the earth, and in all that it pleases Thee to create afterwards. O thou Who art worthy of praise and glory, most worthy of what a servant says, and we are all thy servants, no one can withhold what thou givest or give what Thou withholdest. “The narrators then were agreed on the words: “And riches cannot avail a wealthy person with Thee.”

When the Imam says: “Allah listens to him who praised Him,” say: “O Allah, our lord, to Thee be the praise, “ for if what anyone says synchronises with what the angels say, he will be forgiven his past sins.

The people behind the imam should not say: “Allah listens to him who praises Him.” But they should say: “ Our Lord, to Thee be the praise.”

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to say between the two prostrations: "O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me, heal me, and provide for me."

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: One of you who believes in Allah and in the Last Day should not raise her head until the men raise their heads (after prostration) lest they should see the private parts of men.

The prostration observed by the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ), his bowing, and his sitting between the two prostrations were nearly equal.

I did not offer prayer behind anyone more brief than the one offered by the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) and that was perfect. When the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said: “Allah listens to him who praises Him,” he stood long we thought that he had omitted something; then he say takbir(Allah is most great) and prostrate, and would sit between the two prostrations so long that we thought that he had omitted something.

I witnessed Muhammed(ﷺ) –Abu Kamil’s version has the wording: The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ)-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 Prophet (ﷺ) said: A man's prayer does not avail him unless he keeps his back steady when bowing and prostrating.

When the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) entered the mosque, a man also entered it and prayed. He then came and saluted the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ). The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) returned the salutation and said to him: Go back and pray, for you have not prayed. The man returned and prayed as he prayed before. He then came to prophet(ﷺ) and saluted him. The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said to him: “ And upon you be peace. “ Go back and pray, for you have not prayed. He did so three times. Then the man said: By Him who has sent you(as a Prophet) with truth; I cannot do better than this; so teach me. He said: When you get up to pray, utter the takbir(Allah is most great); then recite a convenient portion of the Qur’an; then bow and remain quietly in that position; then sit and remain quietly in that position; then raise yourself and stand erect: then prostrate yourself and remain quietly in that position; then sit and remain quietly in that position; then do that throughout all your prayer. Abu Dawud said: Al-Qa’nabi reported this tradition from Sa’id b. Abi Sa’Id on the authority of Abu Hurairah. This version has the wording in the last: When you do this, then your prayer is completed. If you omit anything form this, you omit that much from your prayer. This version also has the wording: when you get up for praying, perform the abulation perfectly.

A man entered the mosque...... He then narrated the tradition like the one narrated in (No.855). This version is as follows: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The prayer of anyone is not perfect unless he performs ablution perfectly; he should then utter the takbir, and praise Allah, the Exalted, and admire Him; he should then recite the Qur'an as much as he desires. He should then say: "Allah is Most Great". Next he should bow so that all his joints return to their proper places. Then he should say: "Allah listens to the one who praises Him", and stand erect. He should then say:"Allah is most great," and should prostrate himself so that all his joints are completely at rest. Then he should say: "Allah is most great"; he should raise his head (at the end of prostration) till he sits erect. Then he should say: "Allah is most great"; then he should prostrate himself till all his joints return to their proper places. Then he should raise his head and say the takbir. When he does so, then his prayer is completed.

This version (of Hadith No 856) adds: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The prayer of any of you is not complete until he performs ablution perfectly, as Allah, the Exalted, has ordered you. He should wash his face and hands up to the elbows, and wipe his head and (wash) his feet up to the ankles. Then he should exalt Allah and praise Him. Then he should recite the Qur'an as much as it is convenient for him. (Narrator then narrated the tradition like Hammad's, No. 856). He said: He then utter the takbir and prostration himself so that his face is at rest. Hammam (sub-narrator) said: Sometimes he reported: So that his forehead is at rest on the ground, and his joints return to their places and are loosened. Then he should say the takbir and then sit right on his hips and erect his back. He described the nature of prayer in this way by offering four rak'ahs until he finished it. The prayer of any of you is not complete unless he does so.

When you get up and face the qiblah, what Allah wishes you to recite. And when you bow, put your palms on your knees and stretch out your back. When you prostrate yourself, do it completely( so that you are at the rest). When you raise yourself then sit on your left thigh.

When you get up to pray, say the takbir, exalting Allah; then recite the Qur’an as much as it is convenient for you. The version adds: When you sit in the middle of the prayer, do it completely(so that you are at rest) and spread your left thigh; then recite the tashahhud. Then if you get up (again), do in a similar way until you finish your prayer.