The Book of Prayer

"The Prophet (ﷺ), Abu Bakr and 'Umar used to begin the Salat (prayer) with Al-hamdu lillahi Rabbil-'alamin."[Agreed upon].

"They would not recite Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim, neither in the beginning of the recitation nor at the end of it."

"They never used to recite Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim aloud."

"They used to recite Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim silently."

The negation (of recitation of the Bismillah) in the report of Muslim can be understood in light of this report (i.e. it was recited silently), as opposed to those who declared Muslim's report as being defective.

"I prayed behind Abu Hurairah (RA) and he recited Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim, and then recited Umm-ul-Qur'an(Al-Fatiha) and when he reached walad-dallin, he said Amin; and then said Allahu Akbar, when he prostrated and when he stood up from his sitting position. And when he uttered the Taslim (i.e. As-Salamu 'Alaikum), he said, "I swear by the One (i.e. Allah) in Whose Hand my soul is, my Salat (prayer) resembles most that of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) than that of anyone among you."[Reported by an-Nasa'i and lbn Khuzaimah].

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Whenever you recite Surat Al-Fatiha, recite Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim, for it is one of its Ayat (Verses)."[Reported by ad-Daraqutni who verified it as Mawquf - the saying of Abu Hurairah (RA)].

When Allah's Messenger (RA) completed the recitation of Surat Al-Fatiha, he raised his voice and said Amin.[Reported by ad-Daraqutni who graded it Hasan (good) and Al-Hakim who graded it Sahih (authentic)).

The narrations of Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi from the Hadith of Wa'il bin Hujr (RA) are similar to this one.

A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "I cannot memorize anything from the Qur'an, so teach me something which can be a substitute for me." He said, "Say Subhan Allah (Allah is Free ofImperfections) walhamdu lillah (and praise is to Allah), wa la ilaha illa-Allah (and there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah), wallahu akbar (and Allah is the Most Great), wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah al-'Ali al-'Adheem (and there is no might and no strength but in Allah, the Most High, the Supreme)"[Reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i; andIbn Hibban, ad-Daraqutni and Al-Hakim graded it Sahih (authentic)].

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to lead us in prayer and recite in the first two Rak'a of the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers Surat Al-Fatiha and two (other) Surah. And he would sometimes recite loud enough for us to hear the Verses. He would prolong the first Rak'a, and would recite in the last two Rak'a Surat Al-Fatiha (only).[Agreed upon].

We used to estimate the length of the standing position of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers, and we estimated that he stood in the first two Rak'a of the Zuhr prayer as long as it takes to recite Alif-Lam-Mim, Tanzil (Surat As-Sajdah) and in the last two Rak'a, half the time of that. And in the first two Rak'a of 'Asr, he used to stand as long as the last two of the Zuhr. And the last two Rak'a of 'Asr used to be of about half the time of the first two."[Reported by Muslim).

So-and-so used to prolong the first two Rak'a of the Zuhr prayer and shorten the 'Asr prayer, and recite the short Surah of Mufassal at Maghrib prayer, its medium Surah at the 'Isha' prayer, and its long ones at the Fajr prayer. Then Abu Hurairah (RA) said: "I never prayed behind anyone whose prayer more closely resembles that of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) than this person."[Reported by an-Nasa'i with a Sahih (authentic) Isnad].

I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) reciting at-Tur (the Mountain - Surat No. 52) in the Maghrib (sunset) prayer.[Agreed upon).

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to recite during the Fajr prayer of Friday Alif-Lam-Mim, Tanzil... (as-Sajdab - Surat no. 32) and Hal ata 'alal-Insani... (al-Insan - Surat no. 76), which is also called Surat ad-Dahr).[Agreed upon].

at-Tabarani narrated the Hadith of Ibn Mas'udwhich has the addition "... he [the Prophet (ﷺ)] did that constantly."

I prayed with the Prophet (ﷺ) and (noticed that) whenever he came to a verse which spoke of mercy, he stopped and made supplication, and whenever he came to a verse which spoke of punishment, hestopped and sought refuge in Allah against it." [Reported by Al-Khamsah, and at-Tirmidhi graded it Hasan (good)].

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "I have been forbidden to recite the Qur'an while bowing or prostrating; so while in the bowing (position) glorify (thePerfection of) the Rabb (Lord), and while in the prostrating (position) be earnest in supplication, for it is fitting that your supplications may be answered."[Reported by Muslim].

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to say while bowing and prostrating Subhanaka Allahumma Rabbana wa bihamdika, Allahumma ighfir li (How Perfect You are, O Allah, Our Rabb, and praise is to You, O Allah, forgive me)."[Agreed upon].

When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) got up to pray, he would say the Takbir when standing up, then would say the Takbir when bowing, then he would say Sami'Allahu liman hamidah (Allah listens to him who praises Him) when rising up from the bowing position, then he would say while standing Rabbana wa lakal-hamd (our Rabb, the praise is Yours), then he would say the Takbir when going down for prostration, then when raising his head up, then when he prostrated again, then when raising his head up. He would then do that throughout the whole Salat (prayer) and he would say the Takbir when he got up - at the end of two Rak'a - from the sitting position."[Agreed upon].