When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up for prayer, he uttered the takbir (Allah is most great), then said: I have turned my face, breaking with all others, towards Him Who created the heavens and the earth, and I am not a polytheist. My prayer and my devotion, my life and my death belong to Allah, the Lord of the Universe, Who has no partner. That is what I have been commanded, and I am first of Muslims (those who surrender themselves). O Allah, Thou art the King. There is no God but Thee. Thou art my Lord and I am Thy servant. I have wronged myself, but I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me all my sins; Thou Who alone canst forgive sins; and guide me to the best qualities. Thou Who alone canst guide to the best of them; and turn me from evil ones. Thou who alone canst turn from evil qualities. I come to serve and please Thee. All good is in Thy Hands, and evil does not pertain to Thee. I seek refuge in Thee and turn to Thee, Who art blessed and exalted. I ask Thy forgiveness and turn to thee in repentance. When he bowed, he said: O Allah, to Thee I bow, in Thee I trust, and to Thee I submit myself. My hearing, my sight, my brain, my bone and my sinews humble themselves before Thee. When he raised his head, he said: Allah listens to him who praises Him. O our lord, and all praises be to Thee in the whole of the heavens and the earth, and what is between them, and in whatever Thou creates afterwards. When he prostrated himself, he said: O Allah, to Thee I prostrate myself, to Thee I trust, and to Thee I submit myself. My face prostrated itself before Him Who created it, fashioned it, and fashioned it in the best shape, and brought forth its hearing and seeing. Blessed is Allah, the best of creators. When he saluted at the end of the prayer, he said: O Allah, forgive me my former and my latter sins, my open and secret sins, my sins in exceeding the limits, and what Thou knowest better than I. Thou art He Who puts forward and puts back. There is deity but Thee.  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا قَامَ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ كَبَّرَ ثُمَّ قَالَ وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا مُسْلِمًا وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ إِنَّ صَلاَتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَاىَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الْمَلِكُ لاَ إِلَهَ لِي إِلاَّ أَنْتَ أَنْتَ رَبِّي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي وَاعْتَرَفْتُ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي ذُنُوبِي جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ لاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ وَاهْدِنِي لأَحْسَنِ الأَخْلاَقِ لاَ يَهْدِي لأَحْسَنِهَا إِلاَّ أَنْتَ وَاصْرِفْ عَنِّي سَيِّئَهَا لاَ يَصْرِفُ سَيِّئَهَا إِلاَّ أَنْتَ لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ وَالْخَيْرُ كُلُّهُ فِي يَدَيْكَ وَالشَّرُّ لَيْسَ إِلَيْكَ أَنَا بِكَ وَإِلَيْكَ تَبَارَكْتَ وَتَعَالَيْتَ أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ وَإِذَا رَكَعَ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ رَكَعْتُ وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ وَلَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ خَشَعَ لَكَ سَمْعِي وَبَصَرِي وَمُخِّي وَعِظَامِي وَعَصَبِي وَإِذَا رَفَعَ قَالَ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ مِلْءَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمِلْءَ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَمِلْءَ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ شَىْءٍ بَعْدُ وَإِذَا سَجَدَ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ سَجَدْتُ وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ وَلَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ سَجَدَ وَجْهِي لِلَّذِي خَلَقَهُ وَصَوَّرَهُ فَأَحْسَنَ صُورَتَهُ وَشَقَّ سَمْعَهُ وَبَصَرَهُ وَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ وَإِذَا سَلَّمَ مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَفْتُ وَمَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَالْمُؤَخِّرُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ  

When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up for (offering) obligatory prayer, he uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) and raised his hands opposite to his shoulders, and he did so when he finished the recitation (of the Qur’an) and when he was about to bow; and he did like that when he raised (his head) after bowing. He did not raise his hands in prayer when he was sitting. When he stood at the end of two rak’ahs, he raised his hands in a similar way and uttered the takbir and supplicated in a more or less the same manner as narrated by ‘Abd al-‘Aziz in his version. This version does not mention the words “All good is in Thy Hands and evil does not pertain to Thee.” And this adds: He said when he finished the prayer: “O Allah, forgive me my former and latter sins, my open and secret sins; Thou art my deity; there is no God but Thee.  

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُ كَانَ إِذَا قَامَ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ كَبَّرَ وَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَذْوَ مَنْكِبَيْهِ وَيَصْنَعُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ إِذَا قَضَى قِرَاءَتَهُ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَرْكَعَ وَيَصْنَعُهُ إِذَا رَفَعَ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ وَلاَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنْ صَلاَتِهِ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٌ وَإِذَا قَامَ مِنَ السَّجْدَتَيْنِ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ كَذَلِكَ وَكَبَّرَ وَدَعَا نَحْوَ حَدِيثِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ فِي الدُّعَاءِ يَزِيدُ وَيَنْقُصُ الشَّىْءَ وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ وَالْخَيْرُ كُلُّهُ فِي يَدَيْكَ وَالشَّرُّ لَيْسَ إِلَيْكَ وَزَادَ فِيهِ وَيَقُولُ عِنْدَ انْصِرَافِهِ مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَأَخَّرْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَأَعْلَنْتُ أَنْتَ إِلَهِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ  

Ibn al-Munkadir, Ibn Abi Farwah and a number of jurists of Madina said to me: When you recite the supplication “I am first of the Muslims,” say instead; “I am one of the Muslims”.  

لِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُنْكَدِرِ وَابْنُ أَبِي فَرْوَةَ وَغَيْرُهُمَا مِنْ فُقَهَاءِ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ فَإِذَا قُلْتَ أَنْتَ ذَاكَ فَقُلْ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يَعْنِي قَوْلَهُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ  

A man came panting to join the row of worshippers, and said: Allah is most great; praise be to Allah, much praise, good and blessed. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ finished his prayer, he asked: Which of you is the one who spoke the words? He said nothing wrong. Then the man said: I (said), Messenger of Allah ﷺ; I came and had difficulty in breathing, so I said them. He said: I saw twelve angels racing against one another to be the one to take them to Allah. The narrator Humaid added: When any of you comes for praying, he should walk as usual (i.e. he should not hasten and run quickly); then he should pray as much as he finds it (along with the imam), and should offer the part of the prayer himself (when the prayer is finished) which the Imam had offered before him.  

أَنَّ رَجُلاً جَاءَ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ وَقَدْ حَفَزَهُ النَّفَسُ فَقَالَ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ فَلَمَّا قَضَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلاَتَهُ قَالَ أَيُّكُمُ الْمُتَكَلِّمُ بِالْكَلِمَاتِ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَقُلْ بَأْسًا فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ أَنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ جِئْتُ وَقَدْ حَفَزَنِي النَّفَسُ فَقُلْتُهَا فَقَالَ لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ اثْنَىْ عَشَرَ مَلَكًا يَبْتَدِرُونَهَا أَيُّهُمْ يَرْفَعُهَا وَزَادَ حُمَيْدٌ فِيهِ وَإِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَمْشِ نَحْوَ مَا كَانَ يَمْشِي فَلْيُصَلِّ مَا أَدْرَكَهُ وَلْيَقْضِ مَا سَبَقَهُ  

Jabir saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ observing prayer. (The narrator Amr said: I do not know which prayer he was offering.) He (the Prophet) said: Allah is altogether great; Allah is altogether great; Allah is altogether great; and praise be to Allah in abundance; and praise be to Allah is abundance; and praise be to Allah in abundance. Glory be to Allah in the morning and after (saying it three times). I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed devil, from his puffing up (nafkh), his spitting (nafth) and his evil suggestion (hamz). He (Amr) said: His nafth it poetry, his nafkh is pride, and his hamz is madness.  

أَنَّهُ رَأَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي صَلاَةً قَالَ عَمْرٌو لاَ أَدْرِي أَىَّ صَلاَةٍ هِيَ فَقَالَ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ كَبِيرًا اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ كَبِيرًا اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ كَبِيرًا وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ كَثِيرًا وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ كَثِيرًا وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ كَثِيرًا وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلاً ثَلاَثًا أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ مِنْ نَفْخِهِ وَنَفْثِهِ وَهَمْزِهِ قَالَ نَفْثُهُ الشِّعْرُ وَنَفْخُهُ الْكِبْرُ وَهَمْزُهُ الْمُوتَةُ  

I head the Prophet ﷺ uttering (all these supplications) in a supererogatory prayer; he narrated the tradition in a similar manner.  

سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَقُولُ فِي التَّطَوُّعِ ذَكَرَ نَحْوَهُ  

Asim ibn Humayd said: I asked Aisha: By what words the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would begin his supererogatory prayer at night? She replied: You ask me about a thing of which no one asked me before you. When he stood up, be uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) ten times, and uttered "Praise be to Allah" ten times, and uttered "Glory be to Allah " ten times, and uttered "There is no god but Allah" ten times, and sought forgiveness ten times, and said: O Allah, forgive me, and guide me, and give me sustenance, and keep me well, and he sought refuge in Allah from the hardship of standing before Allah on the Day of Judgment. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has also been narrated by Khalid b. Ma'dan from Rab'iah al-Jarashi on the authority of 'Aishah.  

سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ بِأَىِّ شَىْءٍ كَانَ يَفْتَتِحُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَتْ لَقَدْ سَأَلْتَنِي عَنْ شَىْءٍ مَا سَأَلَنِي عَنْهُ أَحَدٌ قَبْلَكَ كَانَ إِذَا قَامَ كَبَّرَ عَشْرًا وَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ عَشْرًا وَسَبَّحَ عَشْرًا وَهَلَّلَ عَشْرًا وَاسْتَغْفَرَ عَشْرًا وَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَاهْدِنِي وَارْزُقْنِي وَعَافِنِي وَيَتَعَوَّذُ مِنْ ضِيقِ الْمَقَامِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ  

I asked ‘A’ishah: By what words the Prophet ﷺ used to begin his prayer when he stood up at night (to offer tahajjud prayer). She said: When he stood up at night, he began his prayer by saying: O Allah, Lord of Jibra’il, Lord of Mik’ail, and Lord of Israfil, Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, the Knower of what is seen and of what is unseen; Thou decides between Thy servants in which they used to differ. Guide me to the truth where there is a difference of opinion by Thy permission. Thou guidest anyone Thou wishes to the right path.  

حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ بِأَىِّ شَىْءٍ كَانَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَفْتَتِحُ صَلاَتَهُ إِذَا قَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ قَالَتْ كَانَ إِذَا قَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ يَفْتَتِحُ صَلاَتَهُ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ جِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَائِيلَ وَإِسْرَافِيلَ فَاطِرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ عَالِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ أَنْتَ تَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ اهْدِنِي لِمَا اخْتُلِفَ فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِكَ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ تَهْدِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ  

When he stood up, he said the takbir (Allah is most great) and said. . . .  

كَانَ إِذَا قَامَ بِاللَّيْلِ كَبَّرَ وَيَقُولُ  

There is no harm in uttering supplication in prayer, in its beginning, in its middle, and in the end, in obligatory prayer or other.  

لاَ بَأْسَ بِالدُّعَاءِ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فِي أَوَّلِهِ وَأَوْسَطِهِ وَفِي آخِرِهِ فِي الْفَرِيضَةِ وَغَيْرِهَا  

One day we were praying behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ raised his head after bowing, he said: Allah listened to him who praised Him. A man behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: O Allah, Our Lord, and to Thee be praise, much praise, good and blessed. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ finished his prayer, he asked: Which of you if the one who spoke (the words) just now. The man said: I (uttered) these words, Prophet of Allah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: I saw more than thirty angels racing against one another to be the one to write them first.  

كُنَّا يَوْمًا نُصَلِّي وَرَاءَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمَّا رَفَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ قَالَ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ قَالَ رَجُلٌ وَرَاءَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَنِ الْمُتَكَلِّمُ بِهَا آنِفًا فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ أَنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ بِضْعَةً وَثَلاَثِينَ مَلَكًا يَبْتَدِرُونَهَا أَيُّهُمْ يَكْتُبُهَا أَوَّلَ  

When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up for praying at midnight, he said: o Allah, be praise to Thee, Thou art the light of the heavens and the earth; and to Thee be praise; Thou are the maintainer of the heavens and the earth; and to Thee be praise, Thou art the heavens and the earth and what is between them; Thou art the truth, and Thy statement is truth; and Thy promise is the truth; and the visitation with Thee is true; and the Paradise is true and the Hell-fire is true and the Hour is true; O Allah, to Thee I turned my attention, and by Thee I disputed, and to Thee I brought forth my case, so forgive me my former and latter sins, and my secret and open sins, Thou art my deity, there is no deity but Thou.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ إِذَا قَامَ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ مِنْ جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ يَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ نُورُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ قَيَّامُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ رَبُّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ أَنْتَ الْحَقُّ وَقَوْلُكَ الْحَقُّ وَوَعْدُكَ الْحَقُّ وَلِقَاؤُكَ حَقٌّ وَالْجَنَّةُ حَقٌّ وَالنَّارُ حَقٌّ وَالسَّاعَةُ حَقٌّ اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْتُ وَبِكَ خَاصَمْتُ وَإِلَيْكَ حَاكَمْتُ فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَأَخَّرْتُ وَأَسْرَرْتُ وَأَعْلَنْتُ أَنْتَ إِلَهِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say in his tahajjud prayer(i.e. supererogatory prayer offered in or after the midnight) after he said the takbir; he then narrated the tradition to the same effect.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ فِي التَّهَجُّدِ يَقُولُ بَعْدَ مَا يَقُولُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ مَعْنَاهُ  

I offered prayer behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Rifa'ah sneezed. The narrator Qutaybah did not mention the name Rifa'ah (but he said: I sneezed). So I said: Praise be to Allah, praise much, good and blessed therein, blessed thereupon, as our Lord likes and is pleased. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ finished his prayer, he turned and said: Who was the speaker in prayer? He then narrated the rest of the tradition like that of Malik and completed it.  

صَلَّيْتُ خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَعَطَسَ رِفَاعَةُ لَمْ يَقُلْ قُتَيْبَةُ رِفَاعَةُ فَقُلْتُ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ مُبَارَكًا عَلَيْهِ كَمَا يُحِبُّ رَبُّنَا وَيَرْضَى فَلَمَّا صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ انْصَرَفَ فَقَالَ مَنِ الْمُتَكَلِّمُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ نَحْوَ حَدِيثِ مَالِكٍ وَأَتَمَّ مِنْهُ  

A young man from the Ansar sneezed behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he was praying. He then said: Praise be to Allah, much, good, blessed, till our Lord is pleased (with us) in the affairs relating to this world and to the other world. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ finished his prayer, he said: Who was the speaker of these words (in prayer)? The young man kept silence. He again asked: Who was the speaker of these words? He did not say wrong. He said: Messenger of Allah, I said these (words). I did not intend by them but good. He said: These words did not stay below the Throne of the Compassionate (Allah).  

عَطَسَ شَابٌّ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ حَتَّى يَرْضَى رَبُّنَا وَبَعْدَ مَا يَرْضَى مِنْ أَمْرِ الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَنِ الْقَائِلُ الْكَلِمَةَ قَالَ فَسَكَتَ الشَّابُّ ثُمَّ قَالَ مَنِ الْقَائِلُ الْكَلِمَةَ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَقُلْ بَأْسًا فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَنَا قُلْتُهَا لَمْ أُرِدْ بِهَا إِلاَّ خَيْرًا قَالَ مَا تَنَاهَتْ دُونَ عَرْشِ الرَّحْمَنِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى