Sunan al-Nasa'i

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to say, when he did a prostration that was required when reciting Quran at night: "Sajada wajhi lilladhi khalaqahu wa sawwarahu wa shaqqa sam'ahu wa basarahu bihawlihi wa quwwatih (My face has prostrated to the One Who created it and formed it, and brought forth its hearing and sight by His power and strength.)"

"I noticed the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was missing one night and I found him prostrating with the tops of his feet facing toward the Qiblah. I heard him saying: 'A'udhu biridaka min sakhatika, wa a'udhu bimu 'afatika min 'uqubatika wa a'udhu bika minka la uhsi thana'an 'alaika anta kama athnaita 'ala nafsik (I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your wrath; I seek refuge in Your forgiveness from Your punishment; I seek refuge in You from You. I cannot praise You enough, You are as You have praised Yourself.)"

"I noticed that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was missing one night, and I thought he had gone to one of his other wives. I tried to feel for him, and I found him bowing or prostrating and saying: 'SubhanakAllahumma wa bihamdika la ilaha ila ant (Glory and praise be to You, O Allah, there is none worthy of worship but You.)'" She said: "May my father and mother be ransomed for you. I thought you were doing one thing and you were doing something else altogether."

"I prayed Qiyam with the Prophet (ﷺ). He started by using the Siwak and performing wudu, then he stood and prayed. He started reciting Al-Baqarah and he did not come to any verse that spoke of mercy but he paused and asked for mercy, and he did not come to any verse that spoke of punishment but he paused (and sought refuge with Allah from that). Then he bowed and he stayed bowing for as long as he had stood,a nd he said while bowing: 'Subhanaka Dhil-jabaraut wal-malakut wal-kibriya' wal-'azamah (Glory be to the One Who has all power, sovereignty, magnificence and might.)' Then he prostrated for as long as he had bowed, saying while prostrating: 'Subhana Dhil-jabarut wal-malakut wal-kibriya' wal-'azamah (Glory be to the One Who has all power, sovereignty, magnificence and might.)' Then he recited Al Imran, then another surah and another, doing that each time."

"I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) one night. He started reciting Surat Al-Baqarah and he recited one hundred verses, then did not bow, rather he continued. I thought: 'He will complete it in two rak'ahs, but he continued.' I thought: 'He will complete it and then bow,' but he continued until he recited Surat An-Nisa', then Al Imran. Then he bowed for almost as long as he had stood, saying while bowing: 'Subhan Rabbial-azim, Subhan Rabbial-azim, Subhan Rabbial-azim ( Glory be to my Lord Almighty, Glory be to my Lord Almighty, Glory be to my Lord Almighty).' Then he raised his head and said: 'Sami Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears the one who praises Him). Then he prostrated and made his prostration lengthy, saying: "Subhan Rabbial-A'la, Subhan Rabbial-A'la, Subhan Rabbial-A'la (Glory be to my Lord Most High, Glory be to my Lord Most High, Glory be to my Lord Most High). And he did not come to any verse that spoke of fear or glorifying Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, but he said something appropriate."

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said when bowing and prostrating: 'Subbuhun Quddusun Rabbul-mala'ikati war'ruh (Perfect, Most Holy, Lord of the Angels and the Spirit)."

"I have never seen anyone whose prayer more closely resembles the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) than this young man- meaning 'Umar bin Abdul-aziz. And we estimated that when bowing he said the Tasbih ten times and when prostrating he said the Tasbih ten times."

"While the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was sitting with us around him, a man came in, turned towards the Qiblah and prayed. When he had finished his prayer, he came and greeted the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and the people with Salam. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to him: 'And also to you. Go and pray, for you have not prayed.' So he went and prayed, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) started watching him, and he (the man) did not know what was wrong with it. When he had finished the prayer, he came and greeted the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and the people with salam. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to him: 'And also to you. Go and pray, for you have not prayed.' He repeated it two or three times, then the man said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what is wrong with my prayer?' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The prayer of any of you is not complete unless he performs wudu properly as enjoined by Allah, the Mighty and Sublime. So he should wash his face, his arms up to the elbows, and wipe his head, and (wash) his feet up to the ankles. Then he should magnify Allah (SWT) and praise Him and glorify Him.'" - (One of the narrators) Hammam said: "I heard him say: 'He should praise Allah and glorify Him and magnify Him." He said: "I heard both of them." -"He (the Prophet (ﷺ)) said: 'He should recite whatever is easy for him of the Quran that Allah has taught him and permitted him in it (the prayer). Then he should say the Takbir and bow until his joints settle and he is relaxed. Then he should say: 'Sami Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears the one who praises Him)' and stand up straight until his backbone is straight (and at ease). Then he should say Takbir and prostrate until he has placed his face firmly on the ground." "I heard him say: his forehead, until his joints settle and he is relaxed. Then he should say the Takbir and sit up until his backbone is straight (and at ease). Then he should prostrate until he has placed his face firmly on the ground and he is relaxed. If he does not do that then he has not completed his prayer."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "The closest that a person can be to his Lord, the Mighty and Sublime, is when he is prostrating, so increase in supplication then."

"I used to bring to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) water for wudu and serve him. He said: 'Ask of me.' I said: 'I want to be with you in Paradise.' He said: 'Is there anything else?' I said: 'That is all.' He said: 'Help me to fulfill your wish by prostrating a great deal.'"

"I met Thawban, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: "Tell me of an action that will benefit me or gain me admittance to Paradise.' He remained silent for a while, then he turned to me and said: 'You should prostrate, because I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: "There is no one who prostrated once to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, except that Allah will raise him one degree in status thereby, and erase one sin thereby." Ma'dan said: "Then I met Abu Ad-Darda' and asked him the same question I had asked Thawban." He said to me: "You should prostrate, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: "There is no one who prostrates once to Allah (SWT), but Allah (SWT) will raise him one degree thereby and erase one sin thereby."

"I was sitting with Abu Hurairah and Abu Sa'eed. One of them narrated the hadith about intercession and the other was listening. He said: 'Then the angels will come and intercede, and the messengers will intercede.' And he mentioned the Sirat, and said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'I will be the first one to cross it, and when Allah has finished passing judgment among His creation, and has brought forth from the Fire those whom He wants to bring forth, Allah will command the angels and the messengers to intercede, and they will be recognized by their signs, for the Fire will consume all of the son of Adam apart from the place of prostration. Then the water of life will be poured on them, and they will grow like seeds on the banks of a rainwater stream."

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out to us for one of the nighttime prayers, and he was carrying Hasan or Husain. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came forward and put him down, then he said the Takbir and started to pray. He prostrated during his prayer, and made the prostration lengthy." My father said: "I raised my head and saw the child on the back of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) while he was prostrating so I went back to my prostration. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished praying, the people said: "O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), you prostrated during the prayer for so long that we thought that something had happened or that you were receiving a revelation.' He said: 'No such thing happened. But my son was riding on my back and I did not like to disturb him until he had enough.'"

Abdullah said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say the Takbir every time he went down and got up, or stood or sat; he said the Salam on his right and his left: 'As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatulah (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah ),' until the whiteness of his cheek could be seen." He said: "And I saw Abu Bakr and 'Umar, may Allah (SWT) be pleased with them both, doing the same."

When the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) started to pray, he raised his hands, and when he bowed, he did likewise, and when he raised his head from bowing he did likewise, and when he raised his head from prostration, he did likewise, meaning he raised his hands.

"When the Prophet (ﷺ) started to pray he said the takbir and raised his hands, and when he bowed, and after bowing, but he did not raise them between the two prostrations."

He came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and stood by his side, and he said: "Allahu Akbar Dhul-malakut wal-jabarut wal-kibriya' wal 'azamah (Allah is Most Great, the One Who has all sovereignty, power, magnificence, and might.)" Then he recited Al-Baqarah, then he bowed, and his bowing lasted almost as long as his standing, and he said when bowing: 'Subahana Rabbial-'azim, Subhana Rabbial-'azim (Glory be to my Lord Almighty, Glory be to my Lord Almighty)." When he raised his head he said: "Li Rabbial-hamd, Li Rabbial-hamd (To my Lord be praise, to my Lord be praise)." And when he prostrated he said: "Subahana Rabbial-A'la, Subahna Rabbial-A'la (Glory be to my Lord Most High, glory be to my Lord Most High)." And between the two prostrations he would say: "Rabbighfirli, Rabbighfirli (Lord forgive me, Lord forgive me)."

"Abdullah bin Tawus prayed beside me at Mina, in Masjid Al-Khaif, and when he made the first prostration he raised his head and raised his hands up to his face. I found that strange and I said to Wuhaib bin Khalid: "This man does something that I have never seen anyone do." Wuhaib said to him: 'You do something that I have never seen anyone do.' Abdullah bin Tawus said: 'I saw my father do it, and my father said: "I saw Ibn 'Abbas do it and 'Abullah bin Abbas said: 'I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) doing it.'"

"When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prostrated, he would hold his arms out to his sides, so that the whiteness of his armpits could be seen from behind. And when he sat he rested on his left thigh."

"In the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), his bowing, his prostration, standing after he raised his head from bowing and (sitting) between the two prostrations, were almost the same."