"One day Allah's Messenger was sitting in the Masjid" Rifa'ah said: "And we were with him. Then what appeared to be a Bedouin man entered to pray, but he performed his Salat in a very brief manner. He then got up and greeted the prophet with Salam. The Prophet said (returning the greeting): 'And upon you. Go back and perform Salat, for indeed you have no prayed.' So he returned to perform Salat then came and greeted the Prophet with Salam. So he (the Prophet) said (returning the greeting): 'And upon you. Go back and perform Salat, for indeed you have not prayed.' [He did that] two or three times, each time coming to the Prophet, greeted the Prophet with Salam and the Prophet saying: 'And upon you. Go back and perform Salat, for indeed you have not prayed.' - until the people got scared and became very worried that one whose prayer was so brief had not actually prayed. Then in the end the man said: 'Then show me, and teach me, for I am a human who has suffered and is mistaken.' So he said: 'Alright. When you stand for Salat then perform Wudu as Allah ordered you. Then say the Tashahhud, and the Iqamah as well. If you know any Quran then recite it, if not then praise Allah, mention His greatness, and the Tahlil. Then bow such that you are at rest in your bowing, then stand completely, then prostrate completely, then sit such that you are at rest while sitting them stand. When you have done that, then you have completed your Salat, and if you leave out something, then you have made your Salat deficient.' And this was easier on them than the first matter, because if some of this was deficient, It would only reduce the reward of his Salat, it would not have gone entirely. "
Hadith Commentary: The Importance of Proper Prayer
This profound narration from Jami' at-Tirmidhi (Hadith 302) demonstrates the Prophet's meticulous approach to teaching prayer fundamentals. The Bedouin's repeated attempts show that mere physical movements without proper consciousness and completeness do not constitute valid prayer.
Scholarly Analysis of Prayer Components
The Prophet's instruction begins with purification (wudu) - the foundation without which prayer is invalid. This emphasizes the spiritual cleanliness required before standing before Allah.
The mention of Tashahhud and Iqamah refers to the essential declarations of faith and the established opening supplications that orient the heart toward divine presence.
Recitation of Quran represents the verbal component of prayer, but the Prophet provides alternative remembrance (dhikr) for those who haven't memorized Quran - showing Allah's mercy.
The Pillars of Physical Postures
The emphasis on "at rest" (tuma'ninah) in bowing, standing, prostrating and sitting indicates that haste invalidates prayer. Each position must be held with stillness and consciousness.
Complete prostration requires the forehead, nose, hands, knees and toes to touch the ground - symbolizing ultimate submission to the Creator.
Legal Rulings and Spiritual Insights
Classical scholars derive from this hadith that prayer has essential pillars (arkan) whose omission invalidates it, and recommended acts whose omission only reduces reward.
The Prophet's patient teaching demonstrates that ignorance can be remedied through proper instruction, and that Allah accepts the sincere efforts of His servants.
This teaching method - from general correction to specific guidance - reflects the Prophet's wisdom in nurturing spiritual growth gradually.