Sunan al-Nasa'i

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say the takbir every time he got up, went down, stood and sat. Abu Bakr, 'Umar, and 'Uthman (did likewise)."

"When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood to pray, he said the takbir, when he (started), then he said the takbir when he bowed, then he said: 'Sami Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears the one who praises Him)', when he stood up from bowing. Then he said when he was standing: 'Rabbana lakal-hamd.' Then he said the takbir when he went down in prostration, then he said the takbir when he raised his head, and he did that throughout the entire prayer until he finished it, and he said the takbir when he stood up after the first two rak'ahs, after sitting."

"Abu Sulaiman Malik bin Al-Huwairith came to our masjid and said: "I want to show you how I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) pray.'" He said: "He sat during the first Rak'ah when he raised his head from the second prostration."

"I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) pray, and when he was in an odd-numbered rak'ah, he did not get up until he had settled in a sitting position."

"Malik bin Al-Huwairith used to come to us and say: "Shall I not tell you about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)?" He was praying at a time other than the time of prayer, and when he raised his head from the second prostration in the first rak'ah, he settled in a seated position, then he stood up, and he supported himself on the ground (while doing so)."

'I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when he prostrated, place his knees on the ground before his hands, and when he got up, he lifted his hands before his knees."

That Abu Hurairah used to lead them in prayer, and he said the takbir when he went down and came up. When he had finished he said: 'By Allah (SWT), I am the one among you whose prayer most closely resembles that of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).'"

They prayed behind Abu Hurairah, may Allah (SWT) be pleased with him, and he when he bowed, he said the Takbir, when he raised his head he said: 'Sami Allahu liman hamidah, Rabbana wa lakal-hamd. Then he prostrated and said the takbir, then he raised his head and said the takbir, then he said the takbir when he stood up following that Rak'ah. Then he said: 'By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, I am the one among you whose prayer most closely resembles that of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). And this is how he continued to pray until he left this world."

"One of the sunnahs of the prayer is to spread your left foot beneath you, and hold your right foot upright."

His father (Ibn 'Umar) said: "One of the sunnahs of the prayer is to hold the right foot upright and point its toes toward the Qiblah, and to sit on the left foot."

"I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and I saw him raising his hands when he started to pray until they were in level with his shoulders, and when he wanted to bow. When he sat following the first two rak'ahs, he sat on his left foot and held the right foot upright. He placed his right hand on his right thigh and raised his finger for the supplication, and he placed his left hand on his left thigh." He said: "Then I came the following year and I saw them raising their hands inside their Baranis."

He saw a man moving pebbles with his hand while praying. When he finished, 'Abdullah said to him: "Do not move the pebbles while you are praying, for that is from Shaitan. Rather do what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to do." He said: "What did he used to do?" He said: "He would put his right hand on his right thigh, and point with the finger that is next to the thumb toward the Qiblah, and he would look at it, or thereabouts." Then he said: "This is what I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) doing."

His father said: "When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sat in the second or fourth rak'ah, he would place his hands on his knees and point with his finger."

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught us to say when we sat following two rak'ahs: 'At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat, as-salamu 'alaika ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatAllahi wa baraktuhu. As-salamu 'alaina wa 'ala 'ibad illahis-salihin, ashahdu an la illaha ill-Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluhu (Allah compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah (SWT) and his blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah (SWT). I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).'"

"We used not to know what we should say in each rak'ah apart from glorifying, magnifying and praising our Lord. But Muhammad (ﷺ) taught us everything about what is good. He said: "When you sit following every two rak'ahs, then say: At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat, as-salamu 'alaika ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatAllahi wa baraktuhu. As-salamu 'alaina wa 'ala 'ibad illahis-salihin, ashahdu an la illaha ill-Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluhu (Allah compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah (SWT) and his blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah (SWT). I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger), then choose any supplication that you like and call upon Allah the Mighty and Sublime with it.'"

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught us the tashahhud for prayer and the tashahhud for Al-Hajah. The tashahhud for prayer is: At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat, as-salamu 'alaika ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatAllahi wa baraktuhu. As-salamu 'alaina wa 'ala 'ibad illahis-salihin, ashahdu an la illaha ill-Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluhu (Allah compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah (SWT) and his blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah (SWT). I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).' (to the end of the tashahhud)"

"I heard Sufyan reciting this tashahhud in the obligatory and voluntary prayers, and he said: 'Abu Ishaq narrated to us from Abu Al-Ahwas from Abdullah, from the Prophet (ﷺ).'" And Mansur and Hammad narrated to us from Abu Wa'il, from Abdullah, from the Prophet (ﷺ).

"We were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and we did not know anything, then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to us: "Every time you sit (in prayer), say: At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat, as-salamu 'alaika ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatAllahi wa baraktuhu. As-salamu 'alaina wa 'ala 'ibad illahis-salihin, ashahdu an la illaha ill-Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluhu (Allah compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah (SWT) and his blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah (SWT). I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger)."

"We used not to know what to say when we prayed, then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught us some eloquent and concise words. He said to us: 'Say: "At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat, as-salamu 'alaika ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatAllahi wa baraktuhu. As-salamu 'alaina wa 'ala 'ibad illahis-salihin, ashahdu an la illaha ill-Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluhu (Allah compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah (SWT) and his blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah (SWT). I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger)." (One of the narrators) 'Ubaidullah said: "Zaid bin Hammad said, narrating from Ibrahim, that 'Alqamah said: 'I saw Ibn Mas'ud teaching us these words just as he taught us the Quran."

"When we prayed with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), we used to say: "Peace (As-Salam) be upon Allah (SWT), peace be upon Jibril, peace be upon Mika'il.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Do not say "Peace (As-Salam) be upon Allah, for Allah is As-Salam." Rather say: "At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat, as-salamu 'alaika ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatAllahi wa baraktuhu. As-salamu 'alaina wa 'ala 'ibad illahis-salihin, ashahdu an la illaha ill-Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluhu (Allah compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah (SWT) and his blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah (SWT). I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger)."