The Description of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) Prayer After Rising from Bowing

Question:
Shaykh Abdul Aziz, let us begin this session, if you would be so kind, by returning to the answer to our brother Adam Samsum from Sudan; where he asked about the correct manner of prayer. You have started, may Allah reward you with good, and explained the description that it is good for a Muslim to follow, and you reached the standing up from bowing. So it would be best if you would please complete what you started, may Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
We have previously spoken about the description of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) prayer, in fulfillment of what the aforementioned questioner asked about. We ended with what he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do after rising from bowing, and what he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say. We ended with the fact that the follower, when he rises, says: “Our Lord, to You belongs all praise,” and does not add “Hear Allah’s praise for those who praise Him.” This is the preferred position, and this is the stronger opinion. He completes with the praise, saying: , if that is easy for him. If the imam says the takbir, he follows him and leaves the rest, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): .
Then after that, the imam, the one praying alone, and the follower, when they finish this standing and the dhikr of this standing, they go down into prostration. Each of them says the takbir when prostrating, saying: “Allahu Akbar.” The imam, the follower, and the one praying alone say this when prostrating after the standing, after the bowing, and after the dhikr of the standing that was mentioned. After that, the imam goes down into prostration, and so does the follower, and so does the one praying alone. But the follower goes down after his imam. So when his imam finishes and is prostrating, he prostrates after him. Each of them says: “Allahu Akbar” when prostrating, without raising the hands. There is no raising of the hands in this. Rather, each of them goes down into prostration without raising the hands, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) did.
And he says in his prostration: “Subhan Rabbi al-A’la” (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High)... as is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him). “Subhan Rabbi al-A’la, Subhan Rabbi al-A’la.” The obligatory amount is once. And so in bowing, the obligatory amount is once: “Subhan Rabbi al-Azim” (Glory be to my Lord, the Magnificent). If he repeats it three times, that is the minimum of perfection and is recommended. If he increases it to five, seven, or ten, all of it is recommended. The imam should consider not causing hardship for the people, and the follower follows his imam. The one praying alone has no blame on him for increasing in a way that does not cause him hardship or lead to drowsiness or inappropriate thoughts.
It is recommended for the imam, the one praying alone, and the follower to say in prostration: , just as in bowing. This is because it is established from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), the Mother of the Believers, that she said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to frequently say in his bowing and prostration: . He also used to frequently make du'a in prostration. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , meaning: It is likely that it will be answered for you.
And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . So it is prescribed for the believing man and woman to make much du'a in prostration, whether he is an imam, a follower, or praying alone. He makes du'a with what is easy for him. And among the du'a of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in that regard is: . This is from his du'a (peace and blessings be upon him): .
And among the du'a that is good in this position is what is established in the two Sahihs from the Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught him to say in his prayer: . This is among the best du'a, in prostration, between the two prostrations, at the end of the prayer, and outside of prayer: .
The Siddiq asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), saying: “O Messenger of Allah, teach me a du'a that I can make in my prayer?” – and in a narration: “and in my home.” He said: “Say: .” So if he makes du'a with this in prostration, or between the two prostrations, or at the end of the prayer, all of it is good.
And among the du'a that is also good in this position is: . This was from the general du'a of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This was from his well-known du'a – may Allah send blessings and peace upon him. And if a person makes du'a for him in prostration, or at the end of the prayer, and so outside of it, it is a great du'a, and the servant is in great need of it: My heart is in obedience to You. And a person makes du'a with what is easy for him, besides the good du'as mentioned, until his imam raises his head – if he is a follower – and the imam makes du'a in a way that does not cause hardship for the followers. The one praying alone is likewise.
And the Sunnah for the one prostrating is to separate his upper arms from his sides, his belly from his thighs, and his thighs from his lower legs. He should be upright in prostration, raising his forearms from the ground, relying on his palms. He spreads his palms on the ground and extends his fingers toward the qiblah, keeping them together, raising his forearms, separating his upper arm from his side, raising his belly from his thigh, and his thighs from his lower legs. This is the Sunnah, relying on the palms of his fingers – the fingers of his feet – extending the fingers toward the qiblah. This is how he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to prostrate.
And it is obligatory for him to prostrate on the seven bones, meaning: on his face, his palms, his knees, and his feet. This is a pillar that is necessary, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): . So this is necessary in prostration for the man and the woman, for the imam, the follower, and the one praying alone, all of them.
As for how he goes down into prostration, there are two Sunnahs from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding this. One of them is that he goes down on his knees, then places his hands, then his forehead and nose on the ground. This came from the hadith of Wa'il ibn Hujr in the books of the Sunan with a good chain. It has a corroborating narration from the hadith of Anas, and a corroborating narration from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah in the second type.
And the second type is that he goes down on his hands first, then his knees after that. This came in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: . A group of scholars said, meaning: He starts with his hands, because the camel starts with its knees, which are in its hands. This is a Sunnah and this is a Sunnah, and there is no dispute in that. If he prostrates on his knees, it is good, and if he prostrates on his hands, it is good, due to the coming of both hadiths with that.
But the most apparent and closest is that the best is to prostrate on his knees, then his hands, then his forehead and nose. This is the best and closest, and it is contrary to the posture of the camel, and it agrees with the first hadith: . For when the camel kneels, it kneels on its hands. So if the believer puts his hands first, he has imitated the camel. So the best is to put his knees, which are in his feet, first, then his hands, then his forehead and nose. This is the best, and this is the stronger of the two Sunnahs.
And as for his saying in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah: , this is explicit. But some of the scholars of knowledge said: Perhaps there was a reversal in it, and that the correct is: “And let him place his knees before his hands.” It was reversed in some of the narrators, and it is possible; because the end of it does not agree with the beginning of the hadith. The end does not agree with the beginning. For in the beginning it says: and the camel kneels on its hands. And his saying: , its apparent meaning is contrary to the beginning of the hadith. So it appears from this that there is a reversal in the hadith, and that the correct is: “And let him place his knees before his hands.” With this, it agrees with the hadith of Wa'il, and the disagreement and difficulty end.
And in any case, praise be to Allah, the matter is broad. If he prostrates on his knees as indicated by the hadith of Wa'il, it is good. And if he prostrates on his hands, the matter is broad in that, and praise be to Allah.
And it is not befitting in this to have disputes, contention, and strife. But the best, the stronger, and the closest is that he prostrates on his knees, then his hands, then his forehead and nose, according to the hadith of Wa'il. And the closest and most apparent is that the hadith of Abu Hurayrah does not contradict the hadith of Wa'il, but it agrees with it in meaning. But a reversal occurred in its end. And it appears that the hadith is: “And let him place his knees before his hands.” With this, the two hadiths agree, and this is the most apparent of the scholars’ statements on the matter.
Then he raises himself from prostration sitting on his left foot, erecting his right foot between the two prostrations, and says: “My Lord, forgive me, My Lord, forgive me, O Allah, forgive me, O Allah, forgive me and have mercy on me and guide me and heal me and provide for me.” He makes du'a with what is easy for him. And among that is: “My Lord, forgive me, My Lord, forgive me, ” as came in the hadiths. He spreads his left foot and sits on it and erects his right foot. This is the best. And however he sits, it suffices.
And if he sits on his heels, he spreads his feet and sits on his heels, and there is no harm in that, as came in the hadith of Ibn Abbas. And this is iqtia' (sitting on the heels), and there is no harm in sitting in it. It is a specific iqtia', which is sitting on the heels. But the best, and what came in many hadiths, is that he spreads his left foot and sits on it and erects his right foot. This is the best. He places his hands on his thighs, with their ends on his knees, and says: “My Lord, forgive me, My Lord, forgive me, O Allah, forgive me and have mercy on me and guide me and heal me and provide for me.” However he makes du'a for forgiveness, it is permissible. “O Allah, forgive me and my parents, O Allah, forgive me and the Muslims, O Allah, I have wronged myself much...” etc.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would prolong this sitting, just as he would prolong the standing after bowing, (peace and blessings be upon him), to the point where one might say, "He has forgotten." However, the imam should observe that he does not burden the people. But it is not permissible to do as some people do in terms of haste; some people rush and do not settle, after bowing, or between the two prostrations, and this is an error.
The prescribed practice is to be at rest and not to rush between the two prostrations and after bowing while standing, following the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and emulating him (peace and blessings be upon him). Then he prostrates the second time, saying, "Allahu Akbar," without raising his hands in prostration. He prostrates as he did in the first, placing his hands opposite his shoulders or opposite his ears, extending his fingers toward the qiblah, keeping them together, raising his belly from his thighs and his thighs from his lower legs, separating his upper arms from his sides as mentioned before, in this prostration as in the one before it. He says, "Subhan Rabbi al-A'la, Subhan Rabbi al-A'la, Subhan Rabbi al-A'la," and he supplicates with what is easy for him in his prostration as mentioned before.
And it is fitting here to say: "My Lord, the Most High"; because he is in a state of submission, humility, and lowness, even placing his face on the ground. So it is fitting to say: "Subhan Rabbi al-A'la," the One who is above the Throne, above all creation, and He is above the Throne, and His knowledge is everywhere, and He is in the direction of elevation according to the people of the Sunnah and the community, above all creation, as He, the Exalted, said: [Ta-Ha:5], and Allah, is the Most High, the Magnificent, [Ghafir:12], [Al-Imran:55], [An-Nisa:158].
In many verses, all of which indicate His elevation, above all creation, above the Throne, and that He rose above it in a manner befitting His majesty and greatness, not resembling His creation in any of His attributes. And istiwa' is elevation and rising. And according to the people of the Sunnah, it is an istiwa' befitting Allah, not resembling creation in any of His attributes, as he, (peace and blessings be upon him), said: : [Ash-Shura:11], [Al-Ikhlas:4].
And in bowing he says: "Subhan Rabbi al-A'zim," because bowing is a state of humility and submission, so it is fitting to say: "Subhan Rabbi al-A'zim," the One who is the greatest thing, and He is the Mighty, He is the Compeller, He is the Magnificent, He is the Holy. So it is fitting in bowing to say: "Subhan Rabbi al-A'zim," purifying his Lord from humility, and that He is the Mighty, none mightier than Him, the Magnificent, none more magnificent than Him.
And in prostration he says: "Subhan Rabbi al-A'la"; because He is the Most High, above all creation, .
Then he rises to the second rak'ah and does as he did in the first, as mentioned before, but there is no opening supplication in it; the opening supplication is only in the first. As for this one, he rises and then recites al-Fatihah. He mentions Allah and recites al-Fatihah. If he seeks refuge, there is no harm. The seeking of refuge in the first is sufficient, but if he returns to seeking refuge, there is no harm. Then he mentions Allah and recites al-Fatihah, then he recites a surah or verses less than in the first, as mentioned before. Then he bows as he bowed in the first, as mentioned before. Then he sits, then he prostrates two prostrations as mentioned before.
Then he sits for the first tashahhud on his left leg, erecting his right leg, like his sitting between the two prostrations. And he recites the tahiyyat, .
And if he says: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, having no partner," there is no harm. This and that have come; the mention of "alone, having no partner" has come, and one of them is: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, having no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger."
If he wishes, he may rise, and if he prays upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), it is better. He prays upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and then rises. He stands for the third, because the hadiths are general regarding praying upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And some of the scholars said: It is sufficient to recite the testimony and rise. But the best is to pray upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), saying: .
Then he rises saying: "Allahu Akbar," and he raises his hands as he raised them at the start of prayer and at bowing. And in the rising from it, he raises his hands saying: "Allahu Akbar" to the third. Then, after completing his standing, he recites al-Fatihah alone, then he bows as he did previously, then he prostrates as previously, like this. And so in the fourth of Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha, and in the third of Maghrib, he recites al-Fatihah and bows as mentioned before, and says in bowing as mentioned before, and rises as mentioned before, and says in the rising what was mentioned before, and prostrates in prostration as mentioned before, and says in prostration as mentioned before, exactly the same.
But in Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha, there are two rak'ahs after the first tashahhud, and in Maghrib there is one rak'ah. And in Fajr, the prayer is only two rak'ahs, with no first or last tashahhud, but only one tashahhud. Fajr, Jumu'ah, and the Eid, and the prayer for rain, each is two rak'ahs, with only one tashahhud. He comes with the tashahhud and prays upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then he supplicates. And so in the last tashahhud in Maghrib, Isha, Dhuhr, and Asr, he comes with the tahiyyat as mentioned before, and prays upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as mentioned before, then he supplicates. He seeks refuge in Allah from the punishment of the Hellfire, and from the punishment of the grave, and from the trial of life and death, and from the trial of the false messiah, as the report came from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he used to do that.
And it came from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he also commanded that, saying: "I seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the Hellfire, and from the punishment of the grave, and from the trial of life and death, and from the trial of the false messiah." And he supplicates with what he loves in it: , . All of this came from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at the end of the prayer.
And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught Mu'adh to say: He said: , he, (peace and blessings be upon him), said to him: . This supplication is recommended. These supplications at the end of the prayer are for every one who prays, whether a follower, an imam, or one praying alone, a man or a woman. This is prescribed.
And the obligatory is reciting the tahiyyat with the prayer upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This is the obligatory, this is the fard, this is the pillar. And what is added is sunnah and recommended. And some of the scholars made seeking refuge in Allah from four things obligatory. But what the majority of the scholars are upon is that it is sunnah. But it should not be left. It is not permissible for the Muslim man and the Muslim woman to leave these four seekings of refuge: ; because the Chosen One (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded them, and he used to do them himself (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said: . So it is better for the believer man and the believer woman that neither of them leave these good supplications, and to supplicate with them with what is easy of supplications. And his hands are on his thighs, and his fingertips are on his knees, and he points with the index finger in the first and second tashahhud. He raises the index finger and holds the rest, pointing to the oneness of Allah. He holds the rest and raises the index finger, pointing to the oneness of Allah. And if he circles the thumb with the middle finger, and holds the little finger and ring finger, and raises the index finger, all of that is good. This is sunnah and this is sunnah. And in supplication, he moves his index finger slightly in supplication. This came in the Sunnah from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Then he says the salam to his right and left, two salams, -this is the preserved one- . And it was reported in some narrations: "And His blessings." But the scholars differed in its authenticity. So the best and the better is to restrict it to only. This is the preserved one from the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud and from the hadith of Jabir ibn Samurah, and other hadiths indicating that he says: "As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah, As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah," to the right and left. He turns to the right and left, and he exaggerates in the salam. He exaggerates in turning. This is the best.
Then he says after the salam: "Astaghfirullah, Astaghfirullah, Astaghfirullah," three times. Then he says: . This was established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he used to say it when he said the salam.
Then he turns to the people and gives them his face if he is an imam. And when he gives them his face, he says: . The imam, the follower, and the one praying alone say it. And it is recommended for all of them also to come with the tasbih, tahmid, and takbir thirty-three times (Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar) thirty-three times. And he concludes the hundred with his saying: "La ilaha illa Allah wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir."
And it is recommended with this to also recite Ayat al-Kursi after every prayer, and and the two Mu'awwidhat: and once, after Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha, and three times after Maghrib and Fajr.
And I ask Allah to make everyone successful for what He is pleased with, and to make all the Muslims successful in taking the Sunnah, and standing firm upon it and walking upon it, and advising one another with it. Indeed, He is Hearing, Near.

The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good, and may He benefit us with your knowledge.