Sunan Abu Dawud

Narrated Asma' daughter of AbuBakr: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: One of you who believes in Allah and in the Last Day should not raise her head until the men raise their heads (after prostration) lest they should see the private parts of men

Al-Bara’ said:The prostration observed by the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ), his bowing, and his sitting between the two prostrations were nearly equal

Anas b. Malik said:I did not offer prayer behind anyone more brief than the one offered by the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) and that was perfect. When the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said: “Allah listens to him who praises Him,” he stood long we thought that he had omitted something; then he say takbir(Allah is most great) and prostrate, and would sit between the two prostrations so long that we thought that he had omitted something

Al-Barab. Azib said:I witnessed Muhammed(ﷺ) –Abu Kamil’s version has the wording: The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ)-during his prayer. I found his standing like his bowing and prostration and his moderation in bowing was like that of his prostration, and his sitting between the two prostration and his prostration(and his sitting between the salutation) and going away( after finishing the prayer) were nearly equal to one another. Abu Dawud said: Musaddad said: His bowing and his moderation in bowing and prostration, and his prostration and his sitting between the two prostrations, and his prostration and sitting between the salutation and going away (after finishing the prayer) were nearly equal

Narrated AbuMas'ud al-Badri: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: A man's prayer does not avail him unless he keeps his back steady when bowing and prostrating

Abu Hurairah said:When the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) entered the mosque, a man also entered it and prayed. He then came and saluted the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ). The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) returned the salutation and said to him: Go back and pray, for you have not prayed. The man returned and prayed as he prayed before. He then came to prophet(ﷺ) and saluted him. The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said to him: “ And upon you be peace. “ Go back and pray, for you have not prayed. He did so three times. Then the man said: By Him who has sent you(as a Prophet) with truth; I cannot do better than this; so teach me. He said: When you get up to pray, utter the takbir(Allah is most great); then recite a convenient portion of the Qur’an; then bow and remain quietly in that position; then sit and remain quietly in that position; then raise yourself and stand erect: then prostrate yourself and remain quietly in that position; then sit and remain quietly in that position; then do that throughout all your prayer. Abu Dawud said: Al-Qa’nabi reported this tradition from Sa’id b. Abi Sa’Id on the authority of Abu Hurairah. This version has the wording in the last: When you do this, then your prayer is completed. If you omit anything form this, you omit that much from your prayer. This version also has the wording: when you get up for praying, perform the abulation perfectly

Narrated Rifa'ah ibn Rafi': A man entered the mosque...... He then narrated the tradition like the one narrated in (No.855). This version is as follows: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The prayer of anyone is not perfect unless he performs ablution perfectly; he should then utter the takbir, and praise Allah, the Exalted, and admire Him; he should then recite the Qur'an as much as he desires. He should then say: "Allah is Most Great". Next he should bow so that all his joints return to their proper places. Then he should say: "Allah listens to the one who praises Him", and stand erect. He should then say:"Allah is most great," and should prostrate himself so that all his joints are completely at rest. Then he should say: "Allah is most great"; he should raise his head (at the end of prostration) till he sits erect. Then he should say: "Allah is most great"; then he should prostrate himself till all his joints return to their proper places. Then he should raise his head and say the takbir. When he does so, then his prayer is completed

Narrated Rifa'ah ibn Rafi': This version (of Hadith No 856) adds: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The prayer of any of you is not complete until he performs ablution perfectly, as Allah, the Exalted, has ordered you. He should wash his face and hands up to the elbows, and wipe his head and (wash) his feet up to the ankles. Then he should exalt Allah and praise Him. Then he should recite the Qur'an as much as it is convenient for him. (Narrator then narrated the tradition like Hammad's, No. 856). He said: He then utter the takbir and prostration himself so that his face is at rest. Hammam (sub-narrator) said: Sometimes he reported: So that his forehead is at rest on the ground, and his joints return to their places and are loosened. Then he should say the takbir and then sit right on his hips and erect his back. He described the nature of prayer in this way by offering four rak'ahs until he finished it. The prayer of any of you is not complete unless he does so

This tradition has also been transmitted through a different chain of narrators by Rifa’ah b. Rafi. This version goes:When you get up and face the qiblah, what Allah wishes you to recite. And when you bow, put your palms on your knees and stretch out your back. When you prostrate yourself, do it completely( so that you are at the rest). When you raise yourself then sit on your left thigh

This tradition has also been transmitted by Rifa’ah b Rafi through a different chain of narrators. This version has :When you get up to pray, say the takbir, exalting Allah; then recite the Qur’an as much as it is convenient for you. The version adds: When you sit in the middle of the prayer, do it completely(so that you are at rest) and spread your left thigh; then recite the tashahhud. Then if you get up (again), do in a similar way until you finish your prayer

Rifa’ah b. Rafi has also narrated this tradition through a different chain from the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ). This version goes:Then perform ablution in a way Allah, the exalted, has command you, then say the shahadah and get up and say the takbir. Then if you know any of the Qur’an, recite it; otherwise say: “Praise be to Allah”; “Allah is most great”; “ There is no god but Allah” He ( the narrator) also said in this version: If some defect remains in this, that detect will remain in your prayer

Narrated AbdurRahman ibn Shibl: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibited to peck like a crow, and to spread (the forearms) like a wild beast, and to fix a place in the mosque like a camel which fixes its place. These are the wordings of Qutaybah

Narrated Uqbah ibn Amr al-Ansari: Salim al-Barrad said: We came to AbuMas'ud Uqbah ibn Amr al-Ansari and said to him: Tell us about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He stood up before us in the mosque and said the takbir. When he bowed, he placed his hands upon his knees and put his fingers below, and kept his elbows (arms) away from his sides, so everything returned properly to its place. Then he said: "Allah listens to him who praises Him"; then he stood up so that everything returned properly to its place; then he said the takbir and prostrated and put the palms of his hands on the ground; he kept his elbow (arms) away from his sides, so that everything returned to its proper place. Then he raised his head and sat so that everything returned to its place; he then repeated it in a similar way. Then he offered four rak'ahs of prayer like this rak'ah and completed his prayer. Then he said: Thus we witnessed the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offering his prayer

Narrated AbuHurayrah: Anas ibn Hakim ad-Dabbi said that he feared Ziyad or Ibn Ziyad; so he came to Medina and met AbuHurayrah. He attributed his lineage to me and I became a member of his lineage. AbuHurayrah said (to me): O youth, should I not narrate a tradition to you? I said: Why not, may Allah have mercy on you? (Yunus (a narrator) said: I think he narrated it (the tradition) from the Prophet (ﷺ):) The first thing about which the people will be called to account out of their actions on the Day of Judgment is prayer. Our Lord, the Exalted, will say to the angels - though He knows better: Look into the prayer of My servant and see whether he has offered it perfectly or imperfectly. If it is perfect, that will be recorded perfect. If it is defective, He will say: See there are some optional prayers offered by My servant. If there are optional prayer to his credit, He will say: Compensate the obligatory prayer by the optional prayer for My servant. Then all the actions will be considered similarly

The above-mentioned tradition has also been transmitted by Abu Hurairah through a different chain of narrators to the same effect

Narrated Tamim ad-Dari: Tamim reported this tradition from the Prophet (ﷺ) as (Hadith No 863). This version adds: Then zakat will be considered in a similar way. Then all the actions will be considered accordingly

Mus’ab b sa’d said:I prayed by the side of my father. I put both of my hands between my knees(in bowing condition). He prohibited me from it. I then repeated; so he said: Do not do so, because we used to do so. But we were prohibited to do that, and commanded to put our hands on the knees

‘Abd Allah (b. Masud) said:When any of you bows, he should spread his arms on his thighs and clap both his palms (Placing them between the knees), as if I am seeing the variation of the fingers of the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ)

Narrated Uqbah ibn Amir: When "Glorify the name of your mighty Lord" was revealed, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Use it when bowing, and when "Glorify the name of your most high Lord" was revealed, he said: Use it when prostrating yourself

Narrated Uqbah ibn Amir: The above (No 868) tradition has also been reported through a different chain of narrators by Uqbah ibn Amir to the same effect. This version adds: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) bowed, he said: "Glory and praise be to my mighty Lord" three times, and when he prostrated himself, he said: "Glory and praise be to my most high Lord" three times. Abu Dawud said: We are afraid the addition of the word "praise" is not guarded

Hudhaifah said that he prayed along with the Prophet (ﷺ), and that he said when bowing, “Glory be to my mighty Lord, “ and when he prostrated himself, “Glory be to my most high Lord," when he came to a verse which spoke of mercy, he stopped and made supplication, and when he came to a verse which spoke of punishment, he stopped and sought refuge in Allah

‘Aishah said that the prophet (ﷺ) used to say when bowing and prostrating, “All-Glorious, All-Holy, Lord of the angels and spirit

Narrated Awf ibn Malik al-Ashja'i: I stood up to pray along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ); he got up and recited Surat al-Baqarah (Surah 2). When he came to a verse which spoke of mercy, he stopped and made supplication, and when he came to verse which spoke of punishment, he stopped and sought refuge in Allah, then he bowed and paused as long as he stood (reciting Surah al-Baqarah), and said while bowing, "Glory be to the Possessor of greatness, the Kingdom, grandeur and majesty." :Then he prostrated himself and paused as long as he stood up and recited Surat Aal Imran (Surah 3) and then recited many surahs one after another

Narrated Hudhayfah: Hudhayfah saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praying at night. He said: Allah is most great" three times, "Possessor of kingdom, grandeur, greatness and majesty." He then began (his prayer) and recited Surah al-Baqarah; then he bowed and he paused in bowing as long as he stood up; he said while bowing, "Glory be to my mighty Lord," "Glory be to my mighty Lord" ; then he raised his head, after bowing: then he stood up and he paused as long as he paused in bowing and said, "Praise be to my Lord" ; then he prostrated and paused in prostration as long as he paused in the standing position; he said while prostrating: "Glory be to my most high Lord"; then he raised his head after prostration, and sat as long as he prostrated, and said while sitting: "O my Lord forgive me." He offered four rak'ahs of prayer and recited in them Surah al-Baqarah, Aal Imran, an-Nisa, al-Ma'idah, or al-An'am. The narrator Shu'bah doubted

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying:The nearest a servant come to his Lord is when he is prostrating himself, so make supplication often

Ibn ‘Abbas said:The Prophet(ﷺ) lifted the curtain (and saw that) the people were standing in rows(of prayers) behind Abu Bakr. He said: O people, there remained nothing that gives good tidings from prophethood except a true dream which a Muslim has himself or which another Muslim has for him. I have been prohibited to recite the Qur’an while bowing or prostration. As regards owing, exalt the Lord in it, and as to prostration, make supplication with exertion in it, that is worthy of being accepted

A’ishah said:The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) often said while bowing and prostrating himself; “Glory be to Thee, O Allah, out Lord.” And “Praise be to Thee, O Allah, forgive me,” Thus interpreting the (command in the Qur’an)

Abu Hurairah said:The prophet (ﷺ) used to say when prostrating himself: “O Allah. Forgive me all my sins, small and great, first and last. “ the narrator Ibn al-sarh added: “open and secret.”

‘A’ishah said; one night I missed the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and when I sought him on the spot of prayer I found him in prostration with his feet raised, and he was saying:”(O Allah), I seek refuge in Your good pleasure from Your anger, and in Your Mercy from Your Punishment, and I seek refuge from You in You; I am not able to praise You (the way that You deserve to be praised), for You are as You have praised Yourself”

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to make supplication during the prayer saying: "O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from the punishment of the grave; I seek refuge in Thee from the trial of the Antichrist; I seek refuge in Thee from the trial of life and the trial of death; O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from sin and debt." Someone said to him: How often you seek refuge from debt! He replied: When a man is in debt, he talks and tells lies, makes promises and breaks them

Narrated AbuLayla al-Ansari: I prayed by the side of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the supererogatory prayer and I heard him say: "I refuge in Allah from the Hell-Fire; woe to the inmates of the Hell-fire

Abu Hurairah said; The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) got up for the prayer and we also stood up along with him. A Bedouin said said during prayer; O Allah, show mercy to me and to Muhammed and do not show mercy to anyone along with us. When the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) uttered the salutation, he said to the Bedouin; you narrowed down a vast (thing). By this he meant the mercy of Allah

Ibn ‘Abbas reported; when the prophet (ﷺ) recited:“Glorify the name of thy Lord, the Most High.” He would say:”Glory be to Allah, the most High”. Abu Dawud said; In this tradition the other narrators have differed from the narrator Wakl. This has been narrated by Wakl, and Shu’bah from Abu Ishaq, from Sa’ld b. Jubair, from Ibn ‘Abbas as his own statement (and not from the Prophet)

Musa b. Abi ‘A'ishah said:A man used to pray on the roof of his house. When he recited the verse “Is not He able to bring the dead to life?” [Surah al-Qiyamah:42] he would say: ”Glory be to You, then, why not?” They asked him about it, and he replied: "I heard it from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)". Abu Dawud said : Ahmad (b. Hanbal) said: It is pleasing to me that one should recite in the obligatory prayer those supplications which have occurred in the Quran

Sa’d reported that he heard his father or his uncle say ; I witnessed the Prophet (ﷺ) while offering prayer. He used to stay in his bowing and his prostration as long as one uttera the words “Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him” three times

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When one of you bows, he should say three time,:"Glory be to my mighty Lord," and when he prostrates, he should say: "Glory be to my most high Lord" three times. This is the minimum number. Abu Dawud said: The chain of this tradition is broken. The narrator 'Awn did not see 'Abd Allah (b. Mas'ud)

Narrated AbuHurayrah: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When one of you recites "By the fig and the olive" (Surah 95) and comes to its end "Is not Allah the best judge?" (verse 8), he should say: "Certainly, and I am one of those who testify to that." When one recites "I swear by the Day of Resurrection" (Surah 75) and comes to "Is not that one able to raise the dead to life? (verse 40), he should say: "Certainly." And when one recites "By those that are sent" (Surah 77), and comes to "Then in what message after that will they believe? " (Surah 50), he should say: "We believe in Allah." The narrator Isma'il (ibn Umayyah) said: I beg to repeat (this tradition) before the Bedouin (who reported this tradition) so that I might see whether he (was mistaken). He said: My nephew, do you think that I did not remember it? I performed sixty hajj (pilgrimages); there is no hajj but I recognize the came on which I performed it

Narrated Anas ibn Malik: I did not offer behind anyone after the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) a prayer like the prayer offered by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) than this youth, i.e. Umar ibn AbdulAziz. We estimated reciting glorification ten times in his bowing, and in his prostration ten times. Abu Dawud said: Ahmad b. Salih said: I asked him ('Abd Allah) whether the name Manus is correct of Mabus. He replied: 'Abd al-Razzaq used to say Mabus, but I remember Manus (i.e. the narrator Wahb b. Manus). These are the words of Ibn Rafi'. It has also been narrated by Ahmad from Sa'id b. Jubair on the authority of Anas b. Malik

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: Ibn Abbas reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: I have been commanded - according to the version of Hammad: Your Prophet (ﷺ) was commanded - to prostrate on seven (bones), and not to fold back the hair or the clothing

Ibn ‘Abbas reported the prophet (ﷺ) as saying :I have been commanded, and sometimes the narrator said: Your prophet (ﷺ) was commanded to prostrate on seven limbs

‘Abbas b. ‘Abd al-Muttalib said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying:when a servant (of Allah) prostrates himself, the seven limbs, i.e, his face, his palms, his knees and his feet prostrate along with him

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Both hands prostrate as the face prostrates. When one of you puts his face (on the ground) he should put his hands too (on the ground). And when he raises it, he should raise them too

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying; when you come to pray while we are prostrating ourselves, you must prostrate yourselves, and do not reckon it anything (rak’ah) he has been present at the prayer

Abu sa’ld al-Khudri said:The mark of earth was seen on the forehead and nose of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) due to the prayer in which he led the people

The above mentioned tradition has also been transmitted by Ma’mar through a different chain of narrators to the same effect

Narrated Al-Bara' ibn Azib: Al-Bara' described to us (the nature of prostration). He placed his hands (palms), reclined on his knees, and raised his hips; he said: This is how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to prostrate himself

Anas reported the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) as saying; Adopt a moderate position when prostrating yourselves, and see that none of you stretches out his forearms(on the ground) like a dog

Maimunah said:When the Prophet(ﷺ) prostrated himself, he kept his arms so far away from his sides that if a lamb had wanted to pass under his arms, it could have done so

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) from behind. I saw the whiteness of his armpits and he kept his arms away from his sides and raised his stomach (from the ground)

Narrated Ahmar ibn Jaz': When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prostrated himself, he kept his arms far away from his sides so much so that we took pity on him