The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered the Masjid, then a man entered and prayed, then he came and greeted the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) with Salam. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) returned his greeting and said: Go back and pray, for you have not prayed." So he went back and prayed as he has prayed before, then he came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and greeted him with Salam, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to him: "Wa alaika as-salam (and upon you be peace). Go back and pray for you have not prayed." He did that three times, then the man said: "By the One Who sent you with the truth, I cannot do any better than that; teach me." He said: "When you stand to pray, say the Takbir, then recite whatever is easy for you of Quran. Then bow until you have tranquility in your bowing, then stand up until you are standing straight. Then prostrate until you have tranquility in your prostration, then sit up until you have tranquility in your sitting. Then do that throughout your entire prayer."
The Book of the Commencement of the Prayer - Sunan an-Nasa'i 884
This profound hadith from Sunan an-Nasa'i demonstrates the critical importance of tranquility (tuma'ninah) in prayer, which constitutes one of the essential pillars (arkan) without which the prayer is invalid.
The Condition of the Prayer's Validity
The Prophet's repeated command "you have not prayed" indicates that the absence of tranquility renders the prayer null and void, regardless of the number of rak'ahs performed.
Tuma'ninah refers to complete stillness in each position for the duration required to properly fulfill that pillar, not merely rushing through motions.
The Sequence of Prayer Pillars
The Prophet meticulously outlined the essential components: Takbir al-Ihram (opening Allahu Akbar), recitation of Quran, proper bowing (ruku') with stillness, straight standing after bowing, proper prostration (sujood) with stillness, and sitting between prostrations with tranquility.
Each position must be maintained with full composure before transitioning to the next, as haste invalidates the prayer.
Scholarly Commentary on the Man's Response
The man's declaration "I cannot do any better than that" demonstrates his sincerity and recognition of his deficiency, which is the proper attitude of a seeker of knowledge.
His appeal "teach me" shows that when one recognizes their ignorance in matters of worship, they must seek guidance from those with knowledge.
Legal Implications and Contemporary Application
This hadith establishes that prayer performed without proper tranquility does not fulfill the obligation and must be repeated.
Muslims must ensure each pillar is performed with due composure, particularly in our times when haste has become prevalent even in worship.