"The Prophet (ﷺ) was given seven oft-recited; the seven long ones."

Concerning the words of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime: "Seven of Al-Mathani (seven repeatedly-recited): "The seven long ones."

He heard Abu Ad-Darda say: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked: 'Is there recitation in every prayer?' He said: 'Yes.' A man among the Ansar said: 'Is that obligatory?' He (Abu Ad-Darda) turned to me (Kathir), as I was closest of the people to him, and said: 'I think that if the Imam leads the people, that is sufficient for them.'"

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'When the Imam says: Not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray, say: 'Amin' for the angels say Amin and the Imam says Amin, and if a person's Amin coincides with the Amin of the angels, his previous sins will be forgiven.'"

"I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), when he stood to pray, raise his hands until they were in level with his shoulders, then he said the takbir. He did that when he said the Takbir before bowing, and he did that when he raised his head from bowing and said: 'Sami Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears those who praise Him).' Bu he did not do that during the prostration."

"I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and when he started to pray he said the Takbir and raised his hands until they were in level with his ears. Then he recited the Opening of the Book, and when he had finished he said 'Amin' and raised his voice with it."

"I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), when he started to pray, raise his hands, and when he bowed, and when he raised his head from bowing, until they were parallel with the top of his ears."

"There are three things that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to do and the people have abandoned; he used to raise his hands extended when praying, and he would fall silent briefly, and say takbir when he prostrated and when he sat up."

"Alqamah bin Wa'il told us that his father said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), when he was standing in prayer, holding his left hand with his right.'"

He saw a man praying with his feet together. He said: "He is not following the Sunnah. If he were to shift his weight from one to the other I would like that better."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pause briefly when he had started to pray.

"When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) started to pray he would pause briefly. I said: 'May my father and mother be ransomed for you, O Messenger of Allah, what do you say when you pause briefly between the takbir and reciation?' He said: 'I say: Allahuma ba'id bayni wa bayna khatayaya kama ba'adta bayna al-mashriqi wal-maghrib; Allahumma naqqini min khatayaya kama yunaqqa ath-thawb al-abyad min ad-danas; Allahumma ighsilni min khatayaya bil ma'i wa ath-thalji wal-barad. (O Allah, put a great distance between me and my sins, as great as the distance You have made between the East and the West; O Allah, cleanse me of my sins as a white garment is cleansed from filth; O Allah, wash away my sins with water and snow and hail).'"

When the Prophet (ﷺ) started to pray he would say: "Subhanakallahumma, wa bihamdika tabarakasmuka wa ta'ala jadduka wa la ilaha ghairuk (Glory and praise be to You, O Allah. Blessed be Your name and exalted be Your majesty, there is none worthy of worship except You.)"

"When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) started to pray, he would say: 'Subhanakallahumma, wa bihamdika tabarakasmuka wa ta'ala jadduka wa la ilaha ghairuk (Glory and praise be to You, O Allah. Blessed be Your name and exalted be Your majesty, there is none worthy of worship except You.)"

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was leading us in prayer when a man came and entered the masjid, and he was out of breath. He said: 'Allahu Akbar, al-hamdulillahi hamdan kathiran tayiban mubarakan fih. (Allah is Most Great, praise be to Allah, much good and blessed praise.)' When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had finished his prayer he said: 'Which of you is the one who spoke these words?' The people kept quiet. He said: 'He did not say anything bad.' The man said: 'I did, O Messenger of Allah. I came and I was out of breath, and I said it.' The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'I saw twelve angels rushing to see which of them would take it up.'"

"I prayed behind Abu Hurairah and he recited: In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, then he recited Umm Al-Qur'an (Al Fatihah), and when he reached: not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray, he said: 'Amin and the people said 'Amin. And every time he prostrated he said: 'Allahu Akbar and when he stood up from sitting after two Rak'ahs he said: 'Allahu Akbar'. And after he had said the Salam he said: 'By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! My prayer most closely remembers the prayer of the Messenger of Allah.'"

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led us in prayer, and we did not hear him recite: In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. And Abu Bakr and Umar led us in prayer and we did not hear it from them either."

The Prophet (ﷺ) passed by him when he was praying, and called him. He said: "I finished praying, then I came to him, and he said: 'What kept you from answering me?' He said: 'I was praying.' He said: 'Does not Allah say: O you who believe! Answer Allah (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life? Shall I not teach you the greatest surah before I leave the masjid?' Then he went to leave, and I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what about what you said?' He said: "All praise and thanks be to Allah, Lord of all that exists. These are the seven oft-recited that I have been given, and the Grand Quran.'"

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, did not reveal in the Tawrah or the Injil anything like Umm Al-Quran (Al-Fatihah), which is the seven oft-recited, and (Allah said) it is divided between Myself and My slave will have what he asked for.'"

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The Imam is appointed to be followed, so when he says the takbir, say the takbir, and when he recites, be silent, and when he says: "Sami' Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears those who praise Him)," say: "Allahumma rabbana lakal-hamd (Our Lord, to You be praise)."