Book 4: Prayer

Anas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Perform the bowing and the prostration properly, for I swear by God that I can see you behind me." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Al-Bara,’ said that the bowing observed by the Prophet, his prostration, his sitting between the two sajdas, and when he raised his head after bowing, but not the standing [during recitation of the Qur’an] and the sitting [when saying the shahada, were nearly equal. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas said: When the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “God listens to him who praises Him,” he stood so long that we thought he had omitted something; then he would prostrate himself and sit between the sajdas so long that we thought he had omitted something. Muslim transmitted it.

‘A’isha told how the Prophet (ﷺ) often said while bowing and prostrating himself, “Glory be to Thee, O God, our Lord, and praise be to Thee. O God, forgive me," thus complying with the [command in] the Qur’an (Al-Qur’an; 110-3). (Bukhari and Muslim.)

She told how the Prophet (ﷺ) used to say when bowing and prostrating himself, “All-Glorious, All-Holy, Lord of the angels and the spirit." Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “I have been prohibited to recite the Qur’an when bowing or prostrating myself; so when bowing magnify the Lord, and when prostrating yourselves be earnest in supplication, for it is fitting that your supplications should be answered.’’ Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying: When the imam says, “God listens to him who praises Him," say, “O God, our Lord, to Thee be the praise for if what anyone says synchronises with what the angels say, he will be forgiven his past sins. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abdallah b. Abu Aufa said that when God’s Messenger raised his back after bowing he said, “God listens to him who praises Him. O God, our Lord, to Thee be the praise in all the heavens and all the earth, and all that it pleases Thee to create afterwards.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said that when God’s Messenger raised his head after bowing he said, “O God, our Lord, to Thee be the praise in all the heavens and all the earth, and all that it pleases Thee to create afterwards, O Thou who art worthy of praise and glory, most worthy of what a servant says, and we are all Thy servants, no one can withhold what Thou givest or give what Thou withholdest, and riches cannot avail a wealthy person with Thee.”* * This is explained as meaning that only obedience to God will avail him, or protect him from God’s punishment. Jadd (riches) has also been understood in the sense of ancestor (lit. grandfather), so the phrase may be taken to mean that one’s reward in the next world does dot depend on one’s ancestry. Muslim transmitted it.

Rifa'a b. Raf’i said: We were praying behind the Prophet, and when he raised his head at the end of the rak'a he said, “God listens to him who praises Him.” A man behind him said, ‘O our Lord, to Thee be the praise, abundant, good, blessed, sufficient.” When he ended he asked, “Who was the speaker just now ?” and when the man replied that he had spoken he said, “I saw over thirty angels racing one another to be the first to record it.” Bukhari transmitted it.