Sunan Abi Dawud Book 2, Hadith 445
I and ‘Imran b. Husain offered prayer behind ‘All b. AbI Talib(may Allah be pleased with him). When he prostrated, he uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) and when he bowed, he uttered the takbir and when he stood up at the end of two rak’ahs, he uttered the takbir. When we finished our prayer, ‘Imran caught hold of my hand, and said: He has led us in prayer just now like the prayer offered by Muhammed(may peace by upon him).
Al-Hasan (al-Basri) would recite fatihat al-kitab in the noon and afternoon prayers while he led in prayer or he was behind the imam and would glorify Allah, and would repeatedly say: “Allah is most great” and “ There is no god but Allah” (i.e takbir and tahlil) equal to the amount one recites al-Qaf (Surah 50) and al-Dhariyat(surah 51).
Abu Hurairah would utter the takbir in every prayer, whether obligatory or non-obligatory, He would utter the takbir when he stood, and he would utter the takbir when he bowed, then he would say: “Allah listens to him who praises Him”; he then would say before prostrating himself; “ Our Lord, to Thee be praise”; then he would say while falling in prostration: “Allah is most great”; he then would utter the takbir when he raised his head after prostration, and then utter the takbir when he prostrated, and then utter takbir the takbir when he stood up at the end of two rak’ahs after sitting down. He used to do so in every rak’ah until he finished his prayer. Then he would say at the end of the prayer: By Him in Whose hands lies my life, I am closer to the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) in respect of his prayer. Such was the prayer he used to offer until he departed from the world.
Abu Dawud said: Malik, al-Zubaidi and others have narrated so that they form the last words from al-Zuhri on the authority of ‘Ali b, Husain. And this is supported by the version reported by ‘Abd al-A’la from Ma’mar and SHu’aib b. Abi Hamzah on the authority of Al-Zuhri.