Continuation of the Description of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) Prayer

Shaykh Abdul Aziz, at the beginning of this episode, we return to the letter of our sister (A. Z.) from al-Azamiyyah, al-Rusafah, Baghdad. In a previous episode, we addressed some of her questions. One of her questions was about the prayer, from the ablution to the closing salam, as she specified. You were kind enough to explain the correct manner in which a Muslim should approach the prayer, especially when the performance differs in a certain country according to a specific school of jurisprudence. I ask you, Your Eminence, to complete what you began in that episode, so that our sister and her sisters—as she says—may benefit, as well as the honorable listeners.
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon His servant and messenger, His choice from among His creation, and His trustee over His revelation, our Prophet, our Imam, and our Master Muhammad ibn Abdullah, and upon his family and his Companions, and whoever follows his path and is guided by his guidance until the Day of Judgment.
As for what follows:
We have previously discussed the ablution and explained the legislated manner of performing it. We also discussed the beginning of the prayer and concluded with the bowing. What Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has legislated regarding the bowing is that when the worshipper finishes the recitation, he says Allahu Akbar while raising his hands and bowing. He raises his hands to the level of his shoulders or opposite his ears and says: Allahu Akbar. Then he straightens his back—as mentioned earlier—and places his hands on his knees with his fingers spread apart, saying: Subhan Rabbi al-Azim (Glory be to my Lord, the Most Great)... Subhan Rabbi al-Azim. This applies equally to both women and men. It is also prescribed for him to say along with that: Subhanaka Allahumma Rabbana wa bihamdika, Allahumma ighfir li (Glory be to You, O our Lord, and praise be to You; O Allah, forgive me). It is better to repeat the glorification three times, saying: Subhan Rabbi al-Azim... Subhan Rabbi al-Azim... Subhan Rabbi al-Azim. If he repeats it more than that, it is better, provided it does not burden the followers if he is the imam. It is recommended to say in that state: Subhanaka Allahumma Rabbana wa bihamdika, Allahumma ighfir li; based on what is established from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: , and it is reported from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he used to say in the bowing: . If he says something like this, it is good, following the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Then he raises his head saying: Sami' Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears the one who praises Him), if he is an imam or praying alone. He says this when raising his head: Sami' Allahu liman hamidah, and he raises his hands as he did when bowing, to the level of his shoulders or opposite his ears, when saying: Sami' Allahu liman hamidah. Then, after standing upright and straightening, he says: . This is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in his saying and his doing (peace and blessings be upon him). There is no difference in this between a man and a woman. If he adds to this and says: , that is good; because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say it at times (peace and blessings be upon him). The meaning of: (wa la yanfa'u dha al-jaddi mink al-jadd) is: and the wealth of the wealthy does not benefit you from Him. All are poor in need of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). Al-jadd means: fortune and wealth.
As for the follower, he says: Rabbana wa laka al-hamd (Our Lord, to You belongs all praise) when raising his head. He also raises his hands to the level of his shoulders or opposite his ears when raising his head, saying: Rabbana wa laka al-hamd, or Rabbana laka al-hamd, or Allahumma Rabbana laka al-hamd, or Allahumma Rabbana wa laka al-hamd. All of this is prescribed for the imam, the follower, and the one praying alone. However, the imam says: Sami' Allahu liman hamidah first, and so does the one praying alone, then he follows with the praise. As for the follower, he says this when rising from the bowing: Rabbana wa laka al-hamd, and he does not say the listening phrase. He does not say: Sami' Allahu liman hamidah, according to the correct and preferred position indicated by the hadiths from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
It is obligatory to stand upright in this pillar. One should not rush. When he raises his head, he must stand upright and be at rest, and place his hands on his chest; this is the best. Some scholars said: he should let them hang down. But the correct view is that he places them on his chest, placing his right palm over his left palm on his chest, as he did before bowing while standing. This is the Sunnah; based on what is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that when he was standing in prayer, he placed his right palm over his left palm on his chest. This is established from the hadith of Wa'il ibn Hujr, and it is also established from the hadith of Qabisa ibn Khudayl al-Tai from his father, and it is established as a mursal report from the hadith of Tawus from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This is the best and the Sunnah. If he lets his hands hang down, there is no harm in his prayer; his prayer is valid, but he has left the Sunnah. It is not befitting for the believers to quarrel or dispute over this. Rather, the believer knows the Sunnah, and the student of knowledge knows the Sunnah for his brothers. But he should not disparage the one who lets his hands hang down, nor should there be enmity or hatred between them; because it is a voluntary Sunnah. It is not befitting for the brothers, whether in Africa or elsewhere, to dispute over this and harbor hatred. Rather, teaching should be done with gentleness, wisdom, and love for his brother, as he loves for himself. This is how it should be in these matters.
It came in the hadith of Sahl in Sahih al-Bukhari, from Sahl ibn Sa'd, who said: Abu Hazm, the narrator from Sahl, said: I do not know it except that he attributed it to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This indicates that in prayer, when standing, he places his right hand on his left forearm. The meaning is: on his palm and the end of his forearm; because this is the reconciliation between this and the narration of Wa'il ibn Hujr. If he places his palm on the wrist and the forearm, he has placed it on the arm, because the forearm is part of the arm. So he places his right palm over his left palm and on the wrist and forearm, as explicitly stated in the hadith of Wa'il. This includes the standing before the bowing and the standing after the bowing.
This standing upright is one of the pillars of prayer and is necessary. Some people may rush, so that when they raise their heads, they immediately go down into prostration. This is not permissible. Rather, it is obligatory for the worshipper to stand upright after the bowing and be at rest, and not to rush. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: : . Similarly, between the two prostrations, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would prolong it until the one saying: he has forgotten. So it is obligatory for the worshipper, in the obligatory prayer and the voluntary prayer, not to rush. Rather, he should be at rest after the bowing with a clear rest in which he performs the prescribed remembrance. And so between the two prostrations, he should not rush; he should be at rest and stand upright between the two prostrations as he does, and say between them: Rabbighfir li... Rabbighfir li (My Lord, forgive me... My Lord, forgive me), as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did.
Then, after this praise, glorification, standing upright, and rest after the bowing, he goes down into prostration saying: Allahu Akbar, without raising his hands. He goes down into prostration without raising his hands; because what is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is not raising the hands in this position. He prostrates on his seven limbs: his forehead and nose, which is one limb, his two palms, his two knees, and the toes of his feet. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . This is what is prescribed, and this is obligatory for both men and women to prostrate on these seven limbs: the forehead and nose, which is one limb, and the hands—meaning the palms—he spreads them and extends them toward the qiblah, extending the tips of his fingers toward the qiblah, keeping them close together. And the knees, and the tips of the feet, meaning on the toes of the feet, spreading them on the ground, the toes, and relying on them, with their tips toward the qiblah. This is how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did it.
It is better to place the knees before the hands when going down into prostration. This is the best. Some scholars held that he places his hands first. But the stronger view is that he places his knees first, then his hands; because this is established from the hadith of Wa'il ibn Hujr from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that when he prostrated, he placed his knees before his hands.
It came in another hadith from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: . This caused difficulty for many scholars. Some said: he places his hands before his knees. Others said: rather, he places his knees before his hands. And this is what contradicts the prostration of the camel; because the prostration of the camel begins with its hands. If the believer prostrates on his knees, he contradicts the camel. This is what agrees with the hadith of Wa'il, and this is the correct view: that he prostrates on his knees first, then places his hands on the ground, then places his forehead and nose on the ground. This is what is prescribed, which the Sunnah brought from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and it is the reconciliation between the two hadiths.
As for his statement regarding the hadith of Abu Hurayrah: , the apparent view—may Allah know best—is that it refers to turning around, as Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned. The correct practice is to place the knees before the hands so that the end of the hadith corresponds to its beginning, and so that it aligns with the hadith of Wa'il and what was reported in its meaning.
In this prostration, one says: Subhana Rabbi al-A'la (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High)... Subhana Rabbi al-A'la, repeating it three, five, or more times. However, the imam must consider the followers; if he is an imam, he should be mindful of them so as not to burden them. As for the one praying alone, it does not harm him if he prolongs it somewhat. Likewise, the follower follows his imam, so he glorifies and supplicates to his Lord in prostration until the imam rises. It is a recommended practice (sunnah) for the imam, the follower, and the one praying alone to supplicate in prostration. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: meaning: It is likely that your supplications will be answered. The beginning of the hadith states that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So, there is no recitation in bowing or prostration; one does not recite in bowing or in prostration. Recitation is only in the state of standing for those who are able, and in the state of sitting for those who are unable to stand, reciting while sitting. As for prostration and bowing, there is no recitation in them, only glorifying and magnifying the Lord, and in prostration, additionally, supplication. One says: Subhana Rabbi al-A'la... Subhana Rabbi al-A'la... Subhana Rabbi al-A'la, and supplicates. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate in his prostration, saying: So, one supplicates with supplications like those the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to make, as narrated by Muslim in the Sahih.
It is also established in the Sahih of Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say: This indicates the legitimacy of frequent supplication in prostration by the imam, the follower, and the one praying alone. Each of them supplicates in his prostration along with the glorification... along with saying: Subhana Rabbi al-A'la... Subhana Rabbi al-A'la, and along with saying: Subhana Allahi Rabbi wa bihamdihi, Allahumma ighfir li (Glory be to my Lord and with His praise, O Allah, forgive me), as mentioned in the hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) in the books of the two Shaykhs—al-Bukhari and Muslim—may Allah have mercy on them. She said: It is also prescribed to make earnest supplication in this prostration for important matters of this world and the Hereafter. There is no harm in supplicating for matters of this world, such as saying: O Allah, provide me with a righteous wife, or a woman saying: O Allah, provide me with a righteous husband, or good offspring, or lawful wealth, or similar needs of this world. One also supplicates regarding the Hereafter, which is the greater and more important, such as saying: “O Allah, forgive me all my sins, the small and the large, the first and the last, the open and the secret.” O Allah, rectify my heart and my deeds, and provide me with understanding in my religion. O Allah, I ask You for guidance and uprightness. O Allah, I ask You for guidance, piety, chastity, and wealth. O Allah, forgive me, my parents, and the Muslims. O Allah, admit me to Paradise and save me from the Fire, and similar supplications. One should increase supplication in prostration, but without prolonging it to the point of burdening the followers. Rather, if he is an imam, he should be mindful of the followers so as not to burden them. And he says in his prostration: “Subhana Allahi Rabbi wa bihamdihi, Allahumma ighfir li” (Glory be to my Lord and with His praise, O Allah, forgive me)—as mentioned before—two or three times, as the Chosen One (peace and blessings be upon him) did.
Then he rises from the prostration saying: Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest), and sits with his left foot flat and his right foot upright. He places his right hand on his right thigh or on his knee, spreading his fingers on his knee, and places his left hand on his left thigh or on his knee, spreading his fingers on his knee. This is the sunnah. When sitting between the two prostrations, he places his right hand on his right thigh or right knee, and his left hand on his left thigh or left knee. He says: as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say. It is recommended to also say: This is also narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) along with his saying: If he supplicates with additions, there is no harm, such as saying: O Allah, forgive me and my parents. O Allah, admit me to Paradise and save me from the Fire. O Allah, rectify my heart and my deeds... and the like. There is no harm in this, but one should increase in seeking forgiveness... in asking for forgiveness between the two prostrations, following the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Then, after that, he prostrates the second time saying: Allahu Akbar. He prostrates the second time on his forehead and nose, on his two palms, on his two knees, and on the tips of his two feet, as he did in the first prostration. He straightens himself... he raises his belly from his thighs, and his thighs from his lower legs. He does not crouch like a beast. No, rather he straightens himself in prostration. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So, the sunnah is for him to straighten himself, placing his palms on the ground and raising his arms from it, not spreading them like a dog or a wolf or the like. No, rather he raises them, and raises his belly from his thighs, and raises his thighs from his lower legs, so that he is straight in prostration, elevated and upright, with his palms on the ground and his arms raised from the ground, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded and as he (peace and blessings be upon him) did.
Then he says in prostration: Subhana Rabbi al-A'la... Subhana Rabbi al-A'la... Subhana Rabbi al-A'la, and supplicates—as mentioned before—in the first prostration. And he says: Subhana Allahi Rabbi wa bihamdihi... Allahumma ighfir li (Glory be to my Lord and with His praise... O Allah, forgive me), just as he said in the first prostration.
Then he says Allahu Akbar while rising and standing up for the second rak'ah. The best is to sit for a light sitting after the second prostration, a light sitting that some jurists call the sitting of rest. He sits on his left foot, which is flat, and raises his right foot, similar to his state between the two prostrations, but it is light and contains no dhikr or supplication. This is the best. If he stands up and does not sit, there is no harm. But the best is to sit for it, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did. Some scholars said that this is done in old age and in illness. But the correct view is that it is a sunnah of the prayer in all cases, even if the one praying is young and healthy. So it is recommended (mustahabb) according to the correct view, but it is not obligatory. It is a light sitting that contains no dhikr or supplication. He sits on his left foot and raises his right foot, like the sitting between the two prostrations.
Then he stands up for the second rak'ah saying Allahu Akbar. From the time he rises from his prostration while sitting for the sitting of rest, or when he finishes the sitting of rest, he stands up and says: Allahu Akbar. If he begins with the takbir, he should sit to alert the congregation not to precede him until they sit for it and perform this sunnah. If he sits for it before saying the takbir, then rises with the takbir, there is no harm. The important thing is that this sitting is recommended (mustahabb) and not obligatory. If he says the takbir before it, he should direct the followers so that they do not precede him by sitting for it. If he sits first and then rises with the takbir, there is no need to direct them to it except for the sake of teaching, for the sake of teaching the sunnah.
Then he does in the second rak'ah what he did in the first: he recites al-Fatihah, seeks refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan, and mentions Allah. If he leaves out seeking refuge and is content with the first seeking refuge in the first rak'ah, there is no harm. If he repeats it, it is better; because it is with a new recitation. So he seeks refuge in Allah from the Shaytan, mentions Allah, and recites al-Fatihah, then recites with it a surah or verses, as he did in the first rak'ah. But the surah in the second rak'ah should be shorter than the first. His recitation in the second rak'ah should be shorter than the first, as established in the two Sahihs from the hadith of Abu Qatadah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) . When he finishes the recitation, he says Allahu Akbar for bowing, as he did in the first rak'ah. He says Allahu Akbar while raising his hands, then places his hands on his knees with his fingers spread, as he did in the first. His back should be straight, and his head should be level with his back, straight. This is how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do it. He says: Subhana Rabbi al-A'zim (Glory be to my Lord, the Magnificent)... Subhana Rabbi al-A'zim... three, five, seven, or more times, but on the condition that it does not burden the believers if he is an imam. It is recommended to also say: as mentioned before. If he says: it is also good. And so: Subuhun Quddus, Rabb al-Mala'ikah wa al-Ruh (The One who is free from all imperfections, the Holy, Lord of the angels and the Spirit). All of this is good, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did. He also did this in his tahajjud, saying in bowing: O Allah, for You I bow, and in You I believe, and to You I submit. My hearing, my sight, my brain, my bones, my nerves, and all that my feet have carried are humbled for You. This is what he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say in bowing and in the prayer of tahajjud, his tahajjud at night. If he does it at night or in the obligatory prayer, there is no harm in that. But he should be mindful of not burdening the followers if he is an imam.
Then, after reciting the prescribed dhikr in the bowing, he rises up while raising his hands and saying: (Hear Allah’s praise from those who praise Him), if he is the imam or praying alone, as mentioned earlier in the first rak'ah. Then he straightens up after the bowing, stands upright, and humbles himself before Allah, saying in that state: (Our Lord, to You belongs all praise), or . This is the best. If he adds more and says: , then all of that is good, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did. This applies generally to the imam, the follower, and the one praying alone. However, the follower does not say "Hear Allah’s praise from those who praise Him" when rising; rather, he says "Our Lord, to You belongs all praise," as mentioned earlier in the first rak'ah.
Then, after finishing the recitation, he says takbir and bows, just as he did in the first rak'ah, as mentioned earlier. After finishing the recitation, he bows as described, and does as described: raising his hands when bowing, placing them on his knees, straightening his back, and aligning his head with his back. All of this has been mentioned previously.
When he straightens up after the bowing, he does not rush, but rather he is at rest (mutma'in), as mentioned earlier. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to be at rest in that state until the one saying it would think he had forgotten. Some people rush in straightening up and do not be at rest, and this is an error that is not permissible. In fact, it invalidates the prayer if one rushes and does not straighten up properly. Therefore, it is necessary to straighten up and be at rest after the bowing. He says in that state: (Our Lord, to You belongs all praise... and so on), after saying (Hear Allah’s praise from those who praise Him) when rising, if he is the imam or praying alone. As for the follower, he rises saying: (Our Lord, to You belongs all praise), raising his hands with that, either opposite his shoulders or opposite his ears. Then he completes: . Then he goes down to prostrate. If he adds before going down to prostrate: , this is more complete and better, due to the action of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Then he goes down to prostrate, as mentioned earlier, in the first rak'ah. He goes down from this straightening to prostrate, saying takbir without raising his hands. Rather, he says takbir when going down to prostrate without raising his hands. He prostrates as mentioned earlier, prostrating the two prostrations just like his prostration in the first rak'ah, equally. He prostrates the first one and says in it: Glory be to my Lord, the Most High... Glory be to my Lord, the Most High. He supplicates in it with what is easy for him. Then he raises his head saying takbir and says: (O Lord, forgive me... O Lord, forgive me). He straightens up and prolongs this straightening until... between the two prostrations. Then he says takbir and prostrates the second one, supplicating in it and saying: Glory be to my Lord, the Most High... Glory be to my Lord, the Most High, as mentioned earlier.
Then he raises his head and sits for the first tashahhud. If the prayer is four rak'ahs, like Zuhr, 'Asr, and 'Isha, or three rak'ahs, like Maghrib, he performs the tashahhud: .
Then he rises to the third rak'ah. If he did not perform the salutation upon the Prophet and his family after the testimony before rising, there is no harm. When he said: (And I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger), if he rose and did not send salutations upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), there is no harm. This is because a group of scholars do not recommend it here; rather, it is prescribed in the final tashahhud. However, the apparent meaning of the authentic hadiths is that it is prescribed here and there. It is better to perform it here, but it is not obligatory for him here. Rather, it is obligatory in the final tashahhud according to the majority of scholars.
When he finishes the tashahhud and the salutation upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)—because it is better to send salutations upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) according to the correct opinion—he rises after saying takbir, saying: (Allah is the Greatest), raising his hands, as established in the hadith of Ibn 'Umar in al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him). He raises his hands saying takbir, saying: (Allah is the Greatest), when rising from the first tashahhud, until he reaches the third rak'ah in Maghrib, and until he reaches the third and fourth rak'ahs in 'Isha, Zuhr, and 'Asr.
He recites al-Fatihah; this is the best, and al-Fatihah suffices him. He recites al-Fatihah, and al-Fatihah suffices him, with no addition, as established in the hadith of Abu Qatadah that "the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite in the last two rak'ahs al-Fatihah of the Book." And so does the last rak'ah of Maghrib. If he recited more in Zuhr at some times, that is good, because it is established in the hadith of Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that "he used to recite in the first two rak'ahs of 'Asr the amount he recited in the last two rak'ahs of Zuhr." This indicates that he used to recite more than al-Fatihah in the last two rak'ahs of Zuhr. So if he recites more, there is no harm; rather, it is good at some times. And at some times, he restricts himself to al-Fatihah in Zuhr, like 'Asr, Maghrib, and 'Isha, combining the hadith of Abu Sa'id and the hadith of Abu Qatadah. So if he recites in the third and fourth rak'ahs of Zuhr, that is according to the hadith of Abu Sa'id. And if he leaves it, that is according to the hadith of Abu Qatadah. He does this sometimes and that sometimes. As for the third and fourth rak'ahs of 'Asr, the third and fourth rak'ahs of 'Isha, and the third rak'ah of Maghrib, there is only the recitation of al-Fatihah in them, with no addition, due to the lack of evidence for that.
Then, after finishing al-Fatihah in the third rak'ah of Maghrib and the third and fourth rak'ahs of Zuhr, 'Asr, and 'Isha, he goes down to prostrate saying: (Allah is the Greatest). He prostrates two prostrations just as he did in the first and second rak'ahs, after he bows... He bows first, as is known, after finishing the recitation. He bows the lawful bowing, saying takbir and raising his hands. He bows, straightens in the bowing, and stands upright in the bowing. He places his hands on his knees and aligns his head with his back, straight, humble, and at rest. He says: Glory be to my Lord, the Most Great... Glory be to my Lord, the Most Great... Glory be to my Lord, the Most Great. If he adds more and says: , that is good, as mentioned earlier in the hadith of 'A'ishah. Then, after reciting this dhikr in the bowing, he rises saying: (Hear Allah’s praise from those who praise Him), if he is the imam or praying alone. If he is a follower, when rising he says: (Our Lord, to You belongs all praise). Then the imam, the one praying alone, and the follower complete: (Our Lord, to You belongs all praise, much praise, good and blessed, filling the heavens and filling the earth and filling what is between them and filling what You will of anything after). This is what is prescribed. And so in the fourth rak'ah, he does the same, equally.
He goes down to prostrate, like the bowing, just as he did in the first and second rak'ahs. He goes down saying takbir, saying: Allah is the Greatest. He prostrates on the seven limbs, as mentioned earlier, and is at rest in his prostration, not rushing. He straightens up between the two prostrations with a complete straightening. And so in the last rak'ah, equally. And so in the third rak'ah of Maghrib, equally.
As for Fajr, it has no third or fourth rak'ah. Fajr is two rak'ahs. And so Jumu'ah is two rak'ahs. And so the 'Id prayer is two rak'ahs. He recites in them al-Fatihah and whatever is easy for him from the Noble Qur'an, as is known from the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). With this, the prayer ends, and nothing remains except the tashahhud.
When he finishes the fourth rak'ah in Zuhr, 'Asr, and 'Isha, and the third rak'ah of Maghrib, and the second rak'ah of Fajr and Jumu'ah, and the like, when he finishes the second prostration in the last rak'ah, he sits for the tahiyat, just as he recited it in the first tashahhud. He recites it finally, saying: . It is necessary to perform it this way, as Allah has prescribed. There is disagreement in this, but this is the correct opinion: that it is obligatory to perform the salutation upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the final tashahhud. This is because when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: "What should we say in our prayer when...?" He said: "Say: ... and so on." He said: , meaning: in his saying: (Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings). This indicates that this is said in the prayer.
After this salutation upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he supplicates with the well-known supplications and seeks refuge in Allah from the four things from which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to seek refuge. He says: . The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to seek refuge from these four...