Once the Prophet (ﷺ) entered the mosque, a man came in, offered the prayer and greeted the Prophet. The Prophet returned his greeting and said to him, "Go back and pray again for you have not prayed." The man offered the prayer again, came back and greeted the Prophet. He said to him thrice, "Go back and pray again for you have not prayed." The man said, "By Him Who has sent you with the truth! I do not know a better way of praying. Kindly teach Me how to pray." He said, "When you stand for the prayer, say Takbir and then recite from the Qur'an what you know and then bow with calmness till you feel at ease, then rise from bowing till you stand straight. Afterwards prostrate calmly till you feel at ease and then raise (your head) and sit with Calmness till you feel at ease and then prostrate with calmness till you feel at ease in prostration and do the same in the whole of your prayer."
Hadith Commentary: The Perfection of Prayer
This profound narration from Sahih al-Bukhari 793 demonstrates the Prophet's meticulous attention to proper prayer performance. The Companions prayer, though outwardly complete, lacked the essential quality of tranquility (tuma'ninah) in its pillars.
The Essence of Tuma'ninah
Tuma'ninah refers to complete stillness in each position of prayer - standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting - for sufficient duration to properly fulfill the obligation. Scholars emphasize this is not mere haste between positions but dwelling in each posture with full presence of heart and body.
Imam Nawawi explains that tuma'ninah is wajib (obligatory) and prayer is invalid without it. The Prophet's repeated instruction to repeat the prayer indicates the gravity of this requirement.
Pedagogical Wisdom
The Prophet did not initially explain the deficiency, allowing the Companion to recognize his own need for instruction. This teaching method cultivates humility and receptivity in the student. When the Companion sincerely confessed his inability, the Prophet provided clear, comprehensive guidance.
Complete Prayer Sequence
The Prophet outlined the fundamental pillars: opening takbir, Qur'an recitation, proper bowing (ruku') with calmness, straight standing (i'tidal) after bowing, tranquil prostration (sujud), calm sitting between prostrations, and maintaining this quality throughout the entire prayer.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani notes that this hadith contains the comprehensive description of prayer's external form, emphasizing that each movement must be performed with full consciousness and proper duration.