Sunan al-Nasa'i

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade me from reciting the Quran when bowing or prostrating."

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) drew aside the curtain when he had a cloth wrapped around his head during his final illness, and said: 'O Allah, I have conveyed (the Message)' three times. 'There is nothing left of the features of Prophethood except a good dream that a person sees or is seen by others for him. But I have been forbidden to recite the Qur'an when bowing and prostrating, so when you bow, then glorify your Lord and when you prostrate, then strive hard in supplication, for it is more deserving of a response.'"

"I stayed overnight with my maternal aunt Maimunah bin Al-Harith, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stayed overnight with her. I saw him get up to relieve himself and he went to the waterskin and undid its string, then he performed wudu and that was moderate (in the amount of water used). Then he went to his bed and slept. Then he got up again and went to the waterskin and undid its string, and performed wudu again, like the first time. Then he stood and prayed, and when he prostrated he said: 'Allahummaj'al fi qalbi nuran waj'al fi sami' nuran waj'al fi basri nuran, waj'al min tahti nuran waj'al min fawqi nuran, wa 'an yamii nuran wa 'an yasari nuran waj'al amami nuran, waj'al khalfi nuran wa a'zimli nura (O Allah, place light in my heart, and place light in my hearing, and place light in my seeing, and place light beneath me, and place light above me, and light on my right, and light on my left, and place light behind me, and make the light greater for me.') Then he slept until he started to snore, then Bilal came and woke him up for the prayer."

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say when bowing and prostrating: 'Subhanakallahumma, Rabbana wa bihamdik. Allahumma-ghfirli (Glory be to You O Allah, Our Lord, and praise. O Allah, forgive me," following the command of the Quran.

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say when bowing and prostrating: 'Subhanaka Allahumma, Rabbana wa bihamdik. Allahumma-ghfirli (Glory be to You O Allah, Our Lord, and praise. O Allah, forgive me," following the command of the Quran.

"I noticed that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was missing from bed, so I started to look for him, and I thought that he had gone to one of his concubines. Then my hand fell on him when he was prostrating and saying: "Allahummaghfirli ma asrartu wa ma a'lant (O Allah, forgive me for what (sin) I have concealed and what I have done openly).'"

"I noticed that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was missing and I thought he had gone to visit one of his concubines, so I looked for him and found him prostrating and saying: 'Rabbighfirli ma asrartu wa ma a'lant (O Allah, forgive me for what (sin) I have concealed and what I have done openly).'"

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prostrated he would say: "Allahumma laka sajadtu wa laka aslamtu wa bika amantu sajada wajhi lilladhi khalaqahu wa sawwarahu fa ahsana suratahu wa shaqqa sam'ahu wa basarahu, tabarak Allahu ahsanul-khaliqin ( O Allah, to You I have prostrated and to You I have submitted, and in You I have believed. My face has prostrated to the One Who created it and shaped it and shaped it well, and brought forth its hearing and sight. Blessed be Allah the best of Creators.)"

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to say when prostrating: "Allahumma laka sajadtu wa laka aslamtu wa anta Rabbi, sajada wajhi lilladhi khalaqahu wa sawwarahu wa shaqqa sam'ahu wa basarahu, tabarak Allahu ahsanul-khaliqin ( O Allah, to You I have prostrated and in You I have believed and to You I have submitted, and You are my Lord. My face has prostrated to the One Who created it and formed it, and brought forth its hearing and sight. Blessed be Allah the best of Creators.)"

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) got up to offer voluntary prayers at night, he would say when he prostrated: "Allahumma laka sajadtu wa bika amantu wa laka aslamtu, Allahumma anta Rabbi, sajada wajhi lilladhi khalaqahu wa sawwarahu wa shaqqa sam'ahu wa basarahu, tabarak Allahu ahsanul-khaliqin ( O Allah, to You I have prostrated and in You I have believed and to You I have submitted. O Allah, You are my Lord. My face has prostrated to the One Who created it and formed it, and brought forth its hearing and sight. Blessed be Allah the best of Creators.)"

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.'"