‘While he was among ten of the
Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) including Abu Qatadah: “I
heard Abu Humaid As-Sa’idi say: ‘I am the most knowledgeable of
you
concerning the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).’ They
said:
‘Why? By Allah, you did not follow him more than we did, and
you did
not accompany him for longer.’ He said: ‘Yes I am.’
They said: ‘Show
us.’ He said: ‘When the Messenger of Allah
(ﷺ) stood up for prayer,
he would say the Takbir, then he would
raise his hands parallel to his
shoulders, and every part of his body
would settle in place. Then he
would recite, then he would raise his
hands parallel to his shoulders
and bow, placing his palms on his
knees and supporting his weight on
them. He neither lowered his head,
nor raised it up, it was evenly
balanced (between either extreme).
Then he would say: “Sami’ Allahu
liman hamidah (Allah hears those
who praise Him); and he would raise
his hands parallel with his
shoulders, until every bone returned to
its place. Then he would
prostrate himself on the ground, keeping his
arms away from his
sides. Then he would raise his head and tuck his
left foot under him
and sit on it, and he would spread his toes when
he prostrated.* Then
he would prostrate, then say the Takbir and sit
on his left foot,
until every bone returned to its place. Then he
would stand up and do
the same in the next Rak’ah. Then when he stood
up after two
Rak’ah, he would raise his hands level with his shoulders
as he did
at the beginning of the prayer. Then he would offer the rest
of his
prayer in like manner until, when he did the prostration after which
the
Taslim comes, he would push one of his feet back and sit with his
weight on his left side, Mutawarrikan.’** They said: ‘You have
spoken
the truth; this is how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to
perform
the prayer.’”
* Meaning that he would plant them in such a way that they were facing the Qiblah.
** Mutawarrikan: i.e., sitting with the left foot brought forward so that one's buttocks are in direct contact with the ground.
Sunan Ibn Majah Book 5, Hadith 259
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Allah would gather people on the Day of Resurrection and they would be concerned about it, and Ibn Ubaid said. They would get a Divine inspiration about it, and would say: If we could seek intercession with our Lord, we may be relieved from this predicament of ours. He (the Holy Prophet) said: They would come to Adam andsay, Thou art Adam, the father of mankind. Allah created thee with His own hand and breathed unto thee of His Spirit and commanded the angels and they prostrated before thee. So intercede for us with thy Lords, that He may relieve us from this position of ours. He would say: I am not in a position to do this, and would recall his error, and would fight shy of his Lord on account of that; go to Noah the first messenger (after me) sent by Allah. He (the Holy Prophet) said: So they would come to Noah (peace be upon him). He would say: I am not in a position to do that for you, and recall his fault which he had committed, and would fight shy of his Lord on account of that, (and would say): You better go to Ibrahim (peace be upon him) whom Allah took for a friend. They would come to Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and he would say: I am not in a position to do that for you, and would recall his fault that he had committed and would, therefore, fight shy of his Lord on that account (and would say): You better go to Moses (peace be upon him) with whom Allah conversed and con- ferred Torah upon him. He (the Holy Prophet) said: So they would come to Moses (peace be upon him) He would say: I am not in a position to do that for you, and would recall his fault that he had committed and would fight shy of his Lord on account of that (and would say): You better go to Jesus, the Spirit of Allah and His word He would say: I am not in a position to do that for you; you better go to Muhammad (ﷺ), a servant whose former and later sins have been forgiven. He (the narrator) said: The Messenger or Allah (ﷺ) observed: So they would come to me and I would ask the permission of my Lord and it would be granted to me, and when I would see Him, I would fall down in prostration, and He (Allah) would leave me thus as long as He would wish, and then it would be said: O Muhammad, raise your head, say and you would be heard; ask and it would be granted; intercede and intercession would be accepted. Then I would raise my head and extrol my Lord with the praise which my Lord would teach me. I shall then inter- cede, but a limit would be set for me I would bring them out from the Fire and make them enter Paradise (according to the limit). I shall return then ard fall down in pros- tration and Allah would leave me (in that position) as long as He would wish to leave me it would be said: Rise, O Muhammad, say and you would be heard; ask and it would be conferred; intercede and intercession would be granted. I would raise my head and extrol my Lord with praise that He would teach me. I would theft intercede and a limit would be set for me. I would bring them out of the Fire (of Hell) and make them enter Paradise. He (the narrator) said: I do not remember whether he (the Holy Prophet) said at tLe third time or at the fourth time: O my Lord, none has been left in the Fire, but thise restrained by the Holy Quran, i e. those who were eternally doomed. Ibn Ubaid said in a narration: Qatada observed: whose everlasting stay was imperative".
Sahih Muslim Book 1, Hadith 381