English Translation

Abu Humayd al-Sa'idi said: I heard him, while he was among ten of the companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, one of whom was Abu Qatadah b. Rib'i, say, "I am the most knowledgeable among you of the prayer of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him." They said to him, "You were not the earliest of us in his company, nor the most frequent in accompanying him." He said, "Yes I am." They said, "Then describe it." He said: When he stood for prayer, he stood upright, and raised his hands until they were level with his shoulders; when he wished to bow, he raised his hands until level with his shoulders, then said, 'Allah is greatest,' and bowed; then he straightened, neither lowering his head excessively nor raising it, and placed his hands on his knees; then he said, 'Allah hears whoever praises Him'; then he rose and straightened until every bone returned to its place, upright; then he went down prostrating and said, 'Allah is greatest'; then he held his arms away from his sides and kept his upper arms away from his stomach and spread the toes of his feet; then he folded his left leg and sat upon it, and straightened until every bone returned to its place; then he went down prostrating and said, 'Allah is greatest'; then he folded his leg and sat upon it until every limb returned to its place; then he rose and did likewise in the second rak'ah; and when he stood up after the two prostrations, he said the takbir and raised his hands until level with his shoulders, as he had done at the start of the prayer; then he continued likewise until, in the final rak'ah in which the prayer ends, he drew back his left leg and sat on his side in the position of tawarruk, then gave the salutation.