The Book of The At-Tatbiq (Clasping One's Hands Together)

Sawwar ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Sawwar al-Qadi and Muhammad ibn Bashshar reported to us, from ‘Abd al-Wahhab, who said: Khalid narrated to us, from Abu al-‘Aliyah, from ‘Aishah, that the Prophet (ﷺ) would say during the prostration for Qur’an recitation at night: “My face has prostrated to the One who created it and made its hearing and sight, by His power and strength.”

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim reported to us; he said: Jarir informed us, from Yahya ibn Sa‘id, from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim, from ‘Aishah, who said: One night I noticed that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was missing. I found him prostrating, with the soles of his feet facing the qiblah, and heard him say: “I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your anger, and in Your pardon from Your punishment. I seek refuge in You from You. I cannot enumerate praise of You; You are as You have praised Yourself.”

Ibrahim ibn al-Hasan al-Missisi al-Miqsami reported to us; he said: Hajjaj narrated to us, from Ibn Jurayj, from ‘Ata’, who said: Ibn Abi Mulaykah informed me, from ‘Aishah, who said: One night I noticed that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was missing. I thought he had gone to one of his wives, so I felt around for him and found him bowing or prostrating, saying: “Glory and praise be to You, O Allah. There is no god but You.” I said: “May my father and mother be sacrificed for you! I am occupied with one matter, while you are occupied with another.”

Harun ibn ‘Abdullah reported to me; he said: Al-Hasan ibn Sawwar narrated to us; he said: Layth ibn Sa‘d narrated to us, from Mu‘awiyah ibn Salih, from ‘Amr ibn Qays al-Kindi, who heard ‘Asim ibn Humayd say: I heard ‘Awf ibn Malik say: I stood in prayer with the Prophet (ﷺ). He began by using the tooth-stick and performing ablution, then stood and prayed. He began reciting Surat al-Baqarah. Whenever he came to a verse of mercy, he paused and asked; whenever he came to a verse of punishment, he paused and sought refuge. Then he bowed, remaining in bowing for as long as he had stood, and said: “Glory be to the One who possesses might, dominion, grandeur, and greatness.” Then he prostrated for as long as he had bowed, and said in his prostration: “Glory be to the One who possesses might, dominion, grandeur, and greatness.” Then he recited Al ‘Imran, followed by one surah and then another, doing likewise each time.

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim reported to us; he said: Jarir informed us, from al-A‘mash, from Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaydah, from al-Mustawrid ibn al-Ahnaf, from Silah ibn Zufar, from Hudhayfah, who said: I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) one night. He began by reciting Surat al-Baqarah. He recited one hundred verses without bowing, then continued. I thought, “He will complete it in two rak‘ahs,” but he continued. I thought, “He will complete it and then bow,” but he continued until he recited Surat al-Nisa’, then Surat Al ‘Imran. Then he bowed for about as long as he had stood, saying in his bowing: “Glory be to my Lord, the Most Great,” three times. Then he raised his head and said: “Allah hears whoever praises Him. Our Lord, to You belongs all praise.” He stood for a long time, then prostrated and prolonged his prostration, saying: “Glory be to my Lord, the Most High,” three times. Whenever he came to a verse of warning or one that glorified Allah, Mighty and Majestic, he would mention Him.

Bun(d)ar—Muhammad ibn Bashshar—reported to us; he said: Yahya ibn Sa‘id al-Qattan and Ibn Abi ‘Adi narrated to us, from Shu‘bah. They both said: Sa‘id narrated to us, from Qatadah, from Mutarrif, from ‘Aishah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would say while bowing and prostrating: “All-Perfect, Most Holy, Lord of the angels and the Spirit.”

Muhammad ibn Rafi‘ reported to us; he said: ‘Abdullah ibn Ibrahim ibn ‘Umar ibn Kaysan narrated to us; he said: My father narrated to me, from Wahb ibn Manus, who said: I heard Sa‘id ibn Jubayr say: I heard Anas ibn Malik say: I have never seen anyone whose prayer more closely resembled the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) than this young man—meaning ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz. We estimated that he said the glorifications ten times in his bowing and ten times in his prostration.

Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Yazid al-Muqri, Abu Yahya, reported to us in Makkah—though he was from Basra. He said: My father narrated to us; he said: Hammam narrated to us; he said: Ishaq ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Talhah narrated to us that ‘Ali ibn Yahya ibn Khallad ibn Malik ibn Rafi‘ ibn Malik related to him, from his father, from his uncle Rifa‘ah ibn Rafi‘, who said: While the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was sitting with us gathered around him, a man came in, faced the qiblah, and prayed. When he finished, he came and greeted the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and the people. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) replied, “And upon you. Go and pray, for you have not prayed.” The man went and prayed while the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) watched him, though the man did not know what was wrong with his prayer. When he finished, he came and greeted the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and the people. He replied, “And upon you. Go and pray, for you have not prayed.” The man repeated the prayer two or three times, then said, “Messenger of Allah, what did you find wrong with my prayer?” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “A prayer is not complete until one performs ablution thoroughly as Allah, Mighty and Majestic, commanded: washing his face and hands up to the elbows, wiping his head, and washing his feet up to the ankles. Then he should proclaim Allah’s greatness, praise Him, and extol Him.” Hammam said: I heard him say, “He should praise Allah, extol Him, and proclaim His greatness.” He said: I heard both of them say that. He said: “He should recite whatever is easy for him from the Qur’an that Allah has taught him and permitted him to recite in prayer. Then he should proclaim Allah’s greatness and bow until his joints are settled and relaxed. Then he should say, ‘Allah hears whoever praises Him,’ and stand upright until his back is straight. Then he should proclaim Allah’s greatness and prostrate, placing his face firmly on the ground.” I also heard him say, “his forehead,” until his joints are settled and relaxed. Then he should proclaim Allah’s greatness and rise until he is sitting upright, settling his back. Then he should proclaim Allah’s greatness and prostrate, placing his face firmly on the ground and relaxing. If he does not do this, his prayer is not complete.”

Muhammad ibn Salamah reported to us; he said: Ibn Wahb narrated to us, from ‘Amr—meaning Ibn al-Harith—from ‘Umarah ibn Ghaziyah, from Sumayy, who heard Abu Salih, from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The servant is closest to his Lord, Mighty and Majestic, while prostrating, so supplicate abundantly.”

Hisham ibn ‘Ammar reported to us, from Hiql ibn Ziyad al-Dimashqi, who said: Al-Awza‘i narrated to us; he said: Yahya ibn Abi Kathir narrated to us, from Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman, who said: Rabi‘ah ibn Ka‘b al-Aslami told me: I used to bring the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) water for ablution and attend to his needs. He said, “Ask me.” I said, “To accompany you in Paradise.” He asked, “Anything else?” I said, “That is all.” He said, “Then help me concerning yourself by prostrating often.”

Abu ‘Ammar al-Husayn ibn Hurayth reported to us; he said: Al-Walid ibn Muslim informed us; he said: Al-Awza‘i narrated to us; he said: Al-Walid ibn Hisham al-Mu‘ayti narrated to me; he said: Ma‘dan ibn Talhah al-Ya‘muri narrated to me: I met Thawban, the freedman of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and said, “Show me a deed that will benefit me or admit me to Paradise.” He remained silent for a long time, then turned toward me and said, “Commit yourself to prostration, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘Whenever a servant prostrates to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, Allah raises him one degree by it and removes one sin from him.’” Ma‘dan said: Then I met Abu al-Darda’ and asked him what I had asked Thawban. He said to me, “Commit yourself to prostration, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘Whenever a servant prostrates to Allah, Allah raises him one degree by it and removes one sin from him.’”

Muhammad ibn Sulayman—Luwayn, in al-Massisah—reported to us, from Hammad ibn Zayd, from Ma‘mar and al-Nu‘man ibn Rashid, from al-Zuhri, from ‘Ata’ ibn Yazid, who said: I was sitting with Abu Hurayrah and Abu Sa‘id. One of them narrated the report about intercession while the other listened. The narrator said: The angels will come and intercede, and the messengers will intercede. He mentioned the Sirat and said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “I will be the first to cross it. When Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has finished judging His creation and has brought out of the Fire those whom He wills to bring out, He will command the angels and messengers to intercede. They will be recognized by their distinguishing marks. The Fire consumes everything of the son of Adam except the place of prostration. Then water from Paradise will be poured over them, and they will grow like seeds in the silt carried by a torrent.”

‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Sallam reported to us; he said: Yazid ibn Harun narrated to us; he said: Jarir ibn Hazim informed us; he said: Muhammad ibn Abi Ya‘qub al-Basri narrated to us, from ‘Abdullah ibn Shaddad, from his father, who said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out to us for one of the two evening prayers, carrying Hasan or Husayn. He went forward, set the child down, then said the opening takbir and began praying. During the prayer, he prostrated and made one prostration lengthy. My father said: I raised my head and saw the child on the back of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) while he was prostrating, so I returned to my own prostration. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished praying, the people said, “Messenger of Allah, you made one prostration during the prayer so long that we thought something had happened or that revelation was coming to you.” He said, “None of that happened. My son climbed onto me, and I did not want to hurry him before he had finished.”

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim reported to us; he said: Al-Fadl ibn Dukayn and Yahya ibn Adam informed us; they both said: Zuhayr narrated to us, from Abu Ishaq, from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Aswad, from his father, and from ‘Alqamah, from ‘Abdullah, who said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) proclaim the takbir with every lowering and rising, while standing and sitting. He gave the salutation to his right and his left, saying, “Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah,” until the whiteness of his cheeks could be seen. He also said: I saw Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) do the same.

Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna reported to us; he said: Mu‘adh ibn Hisham narrated to us; he said: My father narrated to me, from Qatadah, from Nasr ibn ‘Asim, from Malik ibn al-Huwayrith, that the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ), when beginning the prayer, raised his hands; when bowing, he did likewise; when raising his head from bowing, he did likewise; and when raising his head from prostration, he did likewise—all of this meaning that he raised his hands.

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim reported to us, from Sufyan, from al-Zuhri, from Salim, from his father, who said: When the Prophet (ﷺ) began the prayer, he said the takbir and raised his hands. He raised them when bowing and after rising from bowing, but did not raise them between the two prostrations.

Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-A‘la reported to us; he said: Khalid narrated to us; he said: Shu‘bah narrated to us, from ‘Amr ibn Murrah, from Abu Hamzah, who heard him narrating from a man of the tribe of ‘Abs, from Hudhayfah. He came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and stood beside him. The Prophet said: “Allah is the Greatest, Possessor of dominion, might, grandeur, and majesty.” Then he recited Surat al-Baqarah and bowed, remaining in bowing for about as long as he had stood. In bowing he said twice, “Glory be to my Lord, the Most Great.” When he raised his head, he said twice, “To my Lord belongs all praise.” In prostration he would say twice, “Glory be to my Lord, the Most High.” Between the two prostrations he would say twice, “My Lord, forgive me.”

Musa ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Musa al-Basri reported to us; he said: Al-Nadr ibn Kathir Abu Sahl al-Azdi narrated to us; he said: ‘Abdullah ibn Tawus prayed beside me at Mina, in Masjid al-Khayf. When he performed the first prostration and raised his head from it, he raised his hands toward his face. I found this unusual and said to Wuhayb ibn Khalid, “This man does something I have never seen anyone do.” Wuhayb said to him, “You are doing something we have never seen anyone do.” ‘Abdullah ibn Tawus said, “I saw my father do it.” His father said, “I saw Ibn ‘Abbas do it.” And Ibn ‘Abbas said, “I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) do it.”

‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Ibrahim—Duhaim—reported to us; he said: Marwan ibn Mu‘awiyah narrated to us; he said: ‘Ubayd Allah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn al-Asamm narrated to us; he said: Yazid ibn al-Asamm narrated to me, from Maymunah, who said: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prostrated, he spread his arms away from his sides so that the whiteness of his armpits could be seen from behind. When he sat, he settled his weight on his left thigh.

‘Ubaydullah ibn Sa‘id Abu Qudamah reported to us; he said: Yahya narrated to us, from Shu‘bah; he said: Al-Hakam narrated to me, from Ibn Abi Layla, from al-Bara’, who said: The Messenger of Allah’s (ﷺ) bowing, prostration, standing after raising his head from bowing, and sitting between the two prostrations were nearly equal in duration.