Category: Q n A

Abu Sa`id led us in the prayer and said the Takbir aloud on arising from the prostration, and on
prostrating, on rising again, and on getting up from the second rak`a. Abu Sa`id said, “I saw the
Prophet doing the same.”

`Imran and I prayed behind `Ali bin Abi Talib and he said Takbir on prostrating, on rising and on
getting up after the two rak`at (i.e. after the second rak`a). When the prayer was finished, `Imran took
me by the hand and said, “He (`Ali) has prayed the prayer of Muhammad” (or said, “He made us
remember the prayer of Muhammad).

I saw `Abdullah bin `Umar crossing his legs while sitting in the prayer and I, a mere youngster in
those days, did the same. Ibn `Umar forbade me to do so, and said, “The proper way is to keep the
right foot propped up and bend the left in the prayer.” I said questioningly, “But you are doing so
(crossing the legs).” He said, “My feet cannot bear my weight.”

I was sitting with some of the companions of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and we were discussing about the way of
praying of the Prophet. Abu Humaid As-Sa`idi said, “I remember the prayer of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) better
than any one of you. I saw him raising both his hands up to the level of the shoulders on saying the
Takbir; and on bowing he placed his hands on both knees and bent his back straight, then he stood up
straight from bowing till all the vertebrate took their normal positions. In prostrations, he placed both
his hands on the ground with the forearms away from the ground and away from his body, and his toes
were facing the Qibla. On sitting In the second rak`a he sat on his left foot and propped up the right
one; and in the last rak`a he pushed his left foot forward and kept the other foot propped up and sat
over the buttocks.”

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “I have been ordered to prostrate on seven bones i.e. on the forehead along with the
tip of the nose and the Prophet (ﷺ) pointed towards his nose, both hands, both knees and the toes of both
feet and not to gather the clothes or the hair.”

(he was from the tribe of Uzd Shanu’a [??] and was the ally of the tribe of `Abdul-Manaf and was one
of the companions of the Prophet): Once the Prophet (ﷺ) led us in the Zuhr prayer and stood up after the
second rak`a and did not sit down. The people stood up with him. When the prayer was about to end
and the people were waiting for him to say the Taslim, he said Takbir while sitting and prostrated
twice before saying the Taslim and then he said the Taslim.”

Once I went to Abu- Sa`id Al-Khudri and asked him, “Won’t you come with us to the date-palm trees
to have a talk?” So Abu Sa`id went out and I asked him, “Tell me what you heard from the Prophet (ﷺ)
about the Night of Qadr.” Abu Sa`id replied, “Once Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) performed I`tikaf (seclusion) on
the first ten days of the month of Ramadan and we did the same with him. Gabriel came to him and
said, ‘The night you are looking for is ahead of you.’ So the Prophet (ﷺ) performed the I`tikaf in the
middle (second) ten days of the month of Ramadan and we too performed I`tikaf with him. Gabriel
came to him and said, ‘The night which you are looking for is ahead of you.’ In the morning of the
20th of Ramadan the Prophet (ﷺ) delivered a sermon saying, ‘Whoever has performed I`tikaf with me
should continue it. I have been shown the Night of “Qadr”, but have forgotten its date, but it is in the
odd nights of the last ten nights. I saw in my dream that I was prostrating in mud and water.’ In those
days the roof of the mosque was made of branches of date-palm trees. At that time the sky was clear
and no cloud was visible, but suddenly a cloud came and it rained. The Prophet (ﷺ) led us in the prayer
and I saw the traces of mud on the forehead and on the nose of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ). So it was the
confirmation of that dream.”

Once Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) led us in the Zuhr prayer and got up (after the prostrations of the second rak`a)
although he should have sat (for the Tashahhud). So at the end of the prayer, he prostrated twice
while sitting (prostrations of Sahu).

The people used to pray with the Prophet (ﷺ) tying their Izars around their necks because of their small
sizes and the women were directed that they should not raise their heads from the prostrations till the
men had sat straight.

`Abdullah said, “Whenever we prayed behind the Prophet (ﷺ) we used to recite (in sitting) ‘Peace be on
Gabriel, Michael, peace be on so and so. Once Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) looked back at us and said, ‘Allah
Himself is As-Salam (Peace), and if anyone of you prays then he should say, at-Tahiyatu li l-lahi wa ssalawatu
wa t-taiyibat. As-salamu `alalika aiyuha n-Nabiyu wa rahmatu l-lahi wa barakatuh. Assalamu
`alaina wa `ala `ibadi l-lahi s-salihin. (All the compliments, prayers and good things are due to
Allah; peace be on you, O Prophet, and Allah’s mercy and blessings [be on you]. Peace be on us an on
the pious subjects of Allah). (If you say that, it will reach all the subjects in the heaven and the earth).
Ash-hadu al-la ilaha illa l-lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan `Abduhu wa Rasuluh. (I testify that
there is no Deity [worthy of worship] but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His slave and His
Apostle).