‘Abdallah b. az-Zubair said that when God’s Messenger sat making supplication he placed his right hand on his right thigh and his left hand on his left thigh, pointed with his forefinger, placed his thumb on his middle finger, and covered his knee with the palm of his left hand. Muslim transmitted it.

When we prayed with the Prophet we said,* “Peace be to God before it is supplicated for His servants; peace be to Gabriel; peace be to Michael; peace be to so and so.” When the Prophet finished he turned his face to us and said: Do not say, “Peace be to God”, for God Himself is Peace. When one of you sits during the prayer he should say, “The adorations of the tongue, acts of worship and all good things are due to God. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and God’s mercy and blessings. Peace be upon us and upon God’s upright servants (for when he says that it reaches every upright servant in heaven and earth). I testify that there is no god but God, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.” Then he may choose any supplication which pleases him and offer it. * I.e. at the tashahhud.(Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud said that in the first two rak'as the Prophet was as though he were on heated stones till he got up.**A figurative phrase to express the shortening of the sitting during the tashahhud. Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Ibn Mas'ud used to say, “It pertains to the sunna to repeat the tashahhud quietly.” Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Tirmidhi said this is a hasan gharib tradition.

We asked God’s Messenger this question, “How is blessing to be invoked on you who belong to the prophetic family? God has taught us [only] how to salute you.” He told us to say, “O God, bless Muhammad and Muhammad’s family as Thou didst bless Abraham and Abraham’s family. Thou art indeed praiseworthy and glorious. O God, grant favours to Muhammad and Muhammad’s family as Thou didst grant favours to Abraham and Abraham’s family. Thou art indeed praiseworthy and glorious.” (Bukhari and Muslim, but Muslim did not mention Abraham in the two places.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “No one will express a greeting to me without God restoring my spirit to me so that I may respond to his greeting.” It is transmitted by Abu Dawud and by Baihaqi in [Kitab] ad-da'awat al-kabir.

He reported God’s Messenger as saying, “May he be abased who does not invoke a blessing on me when I am mentioned in his presence. May he be abased who passes through the whole of Ramadan before his sins are forgiven him. May he be abased one or both of whose parents have reached old age without causing him to enter paradise.* *This means that he has shown them no kindness.Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Fadala b. ‘Ubaid said-that while God’s Messenger was sitting, a man entered and prayed aying, “O God, forgive me and show mercy to me.” God’s Messenger said, “You who are praying are in a hurry. When you pray and come to the point when you sit, you should worthily extol God’s praises, invoke blessing on me, and then make your supplication.” He said that afterwards another man prayed, extolling God’s praises and invoking a blessing on the Prophet, and the Prophet said to him, “You who are praying, if you make supplication you will receive an answer.”Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted something similar.

I was praying, and so was the Prophet accompanied by Abu Bakr and ‘Umar. When I sat I first extolled God’s praises then invoked blessings on the Prophet, then made supplication for myself, and the Prophet said, “If you ask you will be given it, if you ask you will be given it.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

If anyone would like to have the fullest measure granted him when he invokes blessings on us, the members of the prophetical family, he should say, “O God, bless Muhammad the ummi* prophet, his wives who are the mothers of the faithful, his offspring, and the people of his house as Thou didst bless the family of Abraham. Thou art indeed praiseworthy and glorious.” * This has commonly been explained as meaning “illiterate”, but it may mean “gentile”. Cf. Al-Qur’an; 7:157, 158.Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone invokes a blessing on me at my grave I shall hear him, and if anyone invokes a blessing on me at a distance I shall have it conveyed to me.” Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu‘ab al-lman.

‘Umar b. al-Khattab said, “The supplication is stopped between heaven and earth, none of it ascending till you invoke blessing on your Prophet.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

‘Amir b. Sa'd quoted his father as saying that he used to see God’s Messenger giving the salutation* to his right and his left, so that he could see the whiteness of his cheek. *1. I.e. pronouncing the taslim.Muslim transmitted it.

We shall mention the tradition of Jabir b. Samura in the chapter on laughing (Book 24; Ch. 7a) if God wills.

Anas said that the Prophet urged them to pray and forbade them to leave after prayer before he did. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Shaddad b. Aus said that God's Messenger used to say in his prayer, “O God, I ask Thee for steadfastness in carrying out what I am commanded and resolution in following right guidance. I ask Thee to make me grateful for Thy favour and to enable me to worship Thee acceptably. I ask Thee for a sound heart and a truthful tongue. I ask Thee for some of the good of what Thou knowest, I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of what Thou knowest, and I ask Thy forgiveness for what Thou knowest.” Nasa’i transmitted it, and Ahmad transmitted something similar.

Jabir said that God’s Messenger used to say in his prayer after the tashahhud, “The best speech is God’s speech, and the best guidance is Muhammad’s guidance.” Nasa’i transmitted it.

‘A’isha said that when God’s Messenger uttered the salutation he sat no longer than it took to say, “O God, Thou art Peace, and peace comes from Thee. Blessed art Thou, O Possessor of glory and honour.” Muslim transmitted it.

Al-Mughira b. Shu'ba stated that the Prophet used to say after every prescribed prayer, “There is no god but God alone, who has no partner. To Him belongs the kingdom, to Him praise is due, and He is omnipotent. O God, no one can withhold what Thou givest, or give what Thou withholdest, and riches cannot avail a wealthy person with Thee.”(Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira told of the poor Emigrants coming to God’s Messenger and saying, “The possessors of great wealth have obtained all the highest grades and lasting bliss.” When he asked what they meant they replied, “They pray as we do, they fast as we do, they give alms but we do not, and they set slaves free but we do not.” So God’s Messenger said, “Shall I not teach you something by which you will catch up on those who have preceded you and get ahead of those who come after you, only those who do as you do being more excellent than you?” On their replying, “Certainly, Messenger of God,” he said, “Extol God, declare His greatness, and praise Him thirty-three times after every prayer.” Abu Salih said that the poor Emigrants returned to God’s Messenger saying, “Our brethren, the possessors of property, have heard what we have done, and they have done the same,” to which he replied, “That is God’s grace, which He gives to whom He wishes.” (Al-Qur’an; 5:54; 57:21; 62:4.) (Bukhari and Muslim) What Abu Salih said is given up to the end only by Muslim. A version has, “Extol God ten times after every prayer, praise Him ten times, and declare His greatness ten times,” instead of thirty-three times given by Bukhari.