Sunan al-Nasa'i

"I heard 'Awf bin Malik say: 'I prayed Qiyam with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) one night, and when he bowed, he stayed as long as it takes to recite Surat Al-Baqarah, saying: "Subhana Dhil-jabaruti wal-malakuti wal-kibriya' wal-'azamah (Glory be to the One Who has all power, sovereignty, magnificence and might)."

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) bowed, he said: "Allahumma laka rak`atu was laka aslamtu wa bika amantu, khasha`a laka sam`i wa basri wa `izami wa mukhi wa `asabi (O Allah, to You I have bowed and to You I have submitted and in You I have believed. My hearing, sight, bones, brain and sinews are humbled before You)."

When the Prophet (ﷺ) bowed, he said: "Allahumma laka rak'atu wa bika amantu wa laka aslamtu wa alayka tawwakaltu, anta Rabbi, khasha'a sam'i wa basri wa dammi wa lahmi wa 'azmi wa 'asabi Lillahi Rabbil-'Alamin ( O Allah, to You I have bowed, in You I believe, to You I have submitted and in You I put my trust. You are my Lord. My hearing, my sight, my blood, my flesh, my bones and sinews are humbled before Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.)"

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood to offer a voluntary prayer, he would say when he bowed: "Allahumma laka rak'atu wa bika amantu wa laka aslamtu wa alayka tawwakaltu, anta Rabbi, khasha'a sam'i wa basri wa lahmi wa dammi wa mukhi wa 'asabi Lillahi Rabbil-'Alamin ( O Allah, to You I have bowed, in You I believe, to You I have submitted and in You I put my trust. You are my Lord. My hearing, my sight, my flesh, my blood, my brain and my sinews are humbled before Allah, the Lord of the Worlds)."

"We were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when a man entered the Masjid and prayed. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) watched him without him realizing, then he finished, came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and greeted him with salam. He returned the salam and said: "Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.'" He (the narrator) said: "I do not know if it was the second or third time,- "(the man) said: 'By the One Who revealed the Book to you, I have tried my best. Teach me and show me.' He said: 'When you want to pray, perform wudu' and do it well, then stand up and face the qiblah. Then say the takbir, then recite, then bow until you are at ease in bowing. Then stand up until you are standing up straight. Then prostrate until you are at ease in prostration, then raise your head until you are at ease in sitting, then prostrate until you are at ease in prostration. If you do that then you will have done your prayer properly, and whatever you failed to do properly is going to detract from your prayer."

"I heard Anas narrate that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Bow and prostrate properly when you bow and prostrate.'"

"My father told me: 'I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and I saw him raise his hands when he started to pray, and when he bowed, and when he said: Sami' Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears the one who praises Him)" like this.'" And (one of the narrators) Qais pointed towards his ears.

He saw the Prophet (ﷺ) raise his hands when he bowed, and when he raised his head from bowing, until they were in level with the highest part of his ears.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to raise his hands until they were in level with his shoulders when he started to pray, and when he raised his head from bowing he did likewise, and when he said: Sami' Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears the one who praises Him)" he said: "Rabbana wa lakal-hamd (Our Lord, to You be praise)" and he did not raise his hands between the two prostrations.

"Shall I not show you how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed?" So he prayed, and he only raised his hands once.

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) started to pray, he raised his hands until they were in level with his shoulders, and when he said the takbir before bowing, and when he raised his head from bowing he raised (his hands) likewise, and said: "Sami Allahu liman hamidah Rabbana wa lakal-hamd (Allah hears the one who praises Him; Our Lord, and to You be praise)," and he did not do that when prostrating.

"When the Prophet (ﷺ) raised his head from bowing, he said: 'Allahumma Rabbana wa lakal-hamd (O Allah, our Lord and to You be the praise).'"

The Prophet (ﷺ) fell from a horse onto his right side, and they entered upon him to visit him. The time for prayer came, and when he had finished praying he said: "The Imam is appointed to be followed, so when he bows, then bow, and when he stands up, then stand up, and when he says: 'Sami' Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears the one who praises Him)' then say: 'Rabbana wa lakal-hamd (Our Lord, and to You be the praise).'"

"We were praying behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) one day and when he raised his head from bowing he said: 'Sami Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears the one who praises Him).' A man behind him said: 'Rabbana wa lakal-hamd, hamdan kathiran tayyiban mubarakan fih. (O our Lord, and to You be praise, much blessed and pure praise.)' When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had finished, he said: "Who is the one who spoke just now?" The man said: 'I did, O Messenger of Allah.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'I saw thirty-some angels rushing to see which of them would write it down first.'"

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "When the Imam says: 'Sami Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears the one who praises Him),' then say: 'Rabbana wa lakal-hamd,' (Our Lord, and to You be the praise).' Whoever says that and it coincides with the angels saying it, his previous sins will be forgiven."

He heard Abu Musa say: "The Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) addressed us and taught us our Sunnah and our prayer. He said: 'When you pray, make your rows straight and let one of you lead you in prayer. When the Imam says the takbir, then say the takbir. When he recites 'Not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor those who went astray' then say: "Amin" and Allah will answer you. When he says the takbir and bows, then say the takbir and bow. The Imam bows before you do and stands up before you do.' The Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'This makes up for that. And when he says: "'Sami Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears the one who praises Him),' then say: "Allahumma Rabbana wa lakal-hamd (O Allah, our Lord, and to You be the praise), " Allah will hear you, for Allah has said on the lips of His Prophet (ﷺ): "Allah hears the one who praises Him." And when he (the Imam) says the takbir and prostrates, then say the takbir and prostrate. The Imam prostrates before you do and sits up before you do.' The Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'This makes up for that. And when he is sitting, let the first thing that any one of you says be: At-tahiyaatut-tayyibatus-salawatuLillah, salamun 'alayka ayyuhanabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu, salamun 'alayna wa 'ala 'ibadillahis-salihin, ashhadu an la ilaha ill-Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh (All compliments, good words and prayers are due to Allah, peace be upon you O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger)- seven phrases which are the greeting of the prayer.'"

The bowing of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and when he raised his head from bowing, and his prostration, and the time between the two prostration, were almost equal in length.

When the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Sami Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears the one who praises Him),' he said: "Allahumma Rabbana wa lakal-hamd, mil'as-samawati wa mil'al-ardi wa mil'ama shi'ta min shai'in ba'd ( O Allah, our Lord, to You be the Praise, filling the heavens, filling the Earth, and filling whatever else You will.)"

When the Prophet (ﷺ) wanted to prostrate after bowing, he would say: "Allahumma, Rabbana wa lakal-hamd, mil'as-samawati wa mil'al-ardi wa mil'ama shi'ta min shai'in ba'd ( O Allah, our Lord, to You be the Praise, filling the heavens, filling the Earth, and filling whatever else You will.)"

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say: "Sami Allahu liman hamidah, Rabbana wa lakal-hamd, mil'as-samawati wa mil'al-ardi wa mil'ama shi'ta min shai'in ba'd. Athlath-thana'i wal-majdi khairu ma qalal-'abdu wa kulluna laka 'abdun la mani'a lima a'taita wa la yanfa'u dhal-jaddi minkal-jadd (Allah hears the one who praises Him; Our Lord, to You be the Praise, filling the heavens, filling the Earth, and filling whatever else You will, Lord of Glory and Majesty, the truest thing a slave had said, and we are all slaves to You. None can withhold what You grant, nor can the possession of an owner benefit him before You.)"