Prostration: Its characteristics, how to lower oneself into it, and what is said in it.

The Shaykh : Then he lowers himself into prostration while saying takbir, saying "Allahu Akbar." Then he lowers himself to the ground in prostration, beginning first with his knees, then his hands, then his forehead and nose, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): His lowering should be on the knees, not the palms, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family): The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) forbade the one in prostration from kneeling like a camel kneels. When a camel kneels, it places its hands forward. Therefore, do not place your hands forward. Some scholars said that his statement: means not to begin with the knees, because the camel's knees are in front of its hands. We say that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not say "do not kneel on what the camel kneels on." If he had said that, we would say do not place the knees forward, because if you placed them forward, you would kneel like a camel kneels, or you would kneel on what the camel kneels on. However, the wording of the hadith is "do not kneel like a camel kneels." So the prohibition is of the manner, not of the limb upon which one prostrates. By this, we know that there is no indication in the hadith that the palms are placed before the knees. Rather, what is placed first is the knee, then the palms, then the forehead and nose. Prostration has two characteristics: a characteristic that suffices, which is placing these seven limbs on the ground, and a complete characteristic, which is placing these seven limbs on the ground in the following manner. First, regarding the hands, the fingers should be spread out, the fingers extended, and the fingers close together like this, with their tips directed toward the qiblah. They should be level with the forehead or level with the shoulders. All of this is established by the Sunnah. One raises his forearms from the ground and keeps his upper arms away from his sides.