When Abu Huraira led us in prayer he used to say Takbir on each bowing and rising. On the completion of the prayer he used to say, "My prayer is more similar to the prayer of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) than that of anyone of you."

`Imran bin Husain and I offered the prayer behind `Ali bin Abi Talib. When `Ali prostrated, he said the Takbir, when he raised his head, he said the Takbir and when he got up for the third rak`a he said the Takbir. On completion of the prayer `Imran took my hand and said, "This (i.e. `Ali) made me remember the prayer of Muhammad" Or he said, "He led us in a prayer like that of Muhammad."

I saw a person praying at Muqam-Ibrahim (the place of Abraham by the Ka`ba) and he was saying Takbir on every bowing, rising, standing and sitting. I asked Ibn `Abbas (about this prayer). He admonished me saying: "Isn't that the prayer of the Prophet?"

I prayed behind a Sheikh at Mecca and he said twenty two Takbirs (during the prayer). I told Ibn `Abbas that he (i.e. that Sheikh) was foolish. Ibn `Abbas admonished me and said, "This is the tradition of Abul-Qasim."

Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stood for the prayer, he said Takbir on starting the prayer and then on bowing. On rising from bowing he said, "Sami`a llahu liman hamidah," and then while standing straight he used to say, "Rabbana laka-l hamd" (Al- Laith said, "(The Prophet (ﷺ) said), 'Wa laka l-hamd'." He used to say Takbir on prostrating and on raising his head from prostration; again he would Say Takbir on prostrating and raising his head. He would then do the same in the whole of the prayer till it was completed. On rising from the second rak`a (after sitting for at-Tahiyyat), he used to say Takbir.

I offered prayer beside my father and approximated both my hands and placed them in between the knees. My father told me not to do so and said, "We used to do the same but we were forbidden (by the Prophet) to do it and were ordered to place the hands on the knees."

Hudhaifa saw a person who was not performing the bowing and prostration perfectly. He said to him, "You have not prayed and if you should die you would die on a religion other than that of Muhammad."

The bowing, the prostration the sitting in between the two prostrations and the standing after the bowing of the Prophet (ﷺ) but not qiyam (standing in the prayer) and qu`ud (sitting in the prayer) used to be approximately equal (in duration).

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."

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to say in his bowing and prostrations, "Subhanaka l-lahumma Rabbana wa bihamdika; Allahumma ghfir li.' (Exalted [from unbecoming attributes] Are you O Allah our Lord, and by Your praise [do I exalt you]. O Allah! Forgive me).

When the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Sami`a l-lahu liman hamidah," (Allah heard those who sent praises to Him), he would say, "Rabbana wa laka l-hamd." On bowing and raising his head from it the Prophet (ﷺ) used to say Takbir. He also used to say Takbir on rising after the two prostrations. (See Hadith No. 656).

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "When the Imam says, "Sami`a l-lahu liman hamidah," you should say, "Allahumma Rabbana laka l-hamd." And if the saying of any one of you coincides with that of the angels, all his past sins will be forgiven."

Abu Hurairah said, "No doubt, my Salat is similar to that of the Prophet (ﷺ)." Abu Hurairah used to recite Qunut after saying Sami' Allahu liman hamida in the last Rak'a of the Zuhr, Isha and Fajr Prayers. He would ask Allah's Forgiveness for the true believers and curse the disbelievers.

The qunut [supplication before going down for prostration] used to be recited in the Maghrib and the Fajr prayers.

One day we were praying behind the Prophet. When he raised his head from bowing, he said, "Sami`a l-lahu liman hamidah." A man behind him said, "Rabbana wa laka l-hamdu, hamdan kathiran taiyiban mubarakan fihi" (O our Lord! All the praises are for You, many good and blessed praises). When the Prophet completed the prayer, he asked, "Who has said these words?" The man replied, "I." The Prophet said, "I saw over thirty angels competing to write it first." Prophet rose (from bowing) and stood straight till all the vertebrae of his spinal column came to a natural position.

Anas used to demonstrate to us the prayer of the Prophet (ﷺ) and while demonstrating, he used to raise his head from bowing and stand so long that we would say that he had forgotten (the prostration).

The bowing, the prostrations, the period of standing after bowing and the interval between the two prostrations of the Prophet (ﷺ) used to be equal in duration .

Abu Qilaba said, "Malik bin Huwairith used to demonstrate to us the prayer of the Prophet (ﷺ) at times other than that of the compulsory prayers. So (once) he stood up for prayer and performed a perfect Qiyam (standing and reciting from the Holy Qur'an) and then bowed and performed bowing perfectly; then he raised his head and stood straight for a while." Abu Qilaba added, "Malik bin Huwairith in that demonstration prayed like this Sheikh of ours, Abu Yazid." Abu, Yazid used to sit (for a while) on raising his head from the second prostration before getting up.

Abu Huraira used to say Takbir in all the prayers, compulsory and optional -- in the month of Ramadan or other months. He used to say Takbir on standing for prayer and on bowing; then he would say, "Sami`a l-lahu liman hamidah," and before prostrating he would say "Rabbana wa laka lhamd." Then he would say Takbir on prostrating and on raising his head from the prostration, then another Takbir on prostrating (for the second time), and on raising his head from the prostration. He also would say the Takbir on standing from the second rak`a. He used to do the same in every rak`a till he completed the prayer. On completion of the prayer, he would say, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is! No doubt my prayer is closer to that of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) than yours, and this was His prayer till he left this world."