The Prophet(peace be upon hm), Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthman used to begin the recitation with “Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe.”  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ وَأَبَا بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ كَانُوا يَفْتَتِحُونَ الْقِرَاءَةَ بِ { الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ }  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ began prayer with the takbir (Allah is most great) and with reciting “Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe”. And when he bowed, he neither raised up nor lowered down his head, but kept it between the two (conditions). And when he raised his head after bowing, he did not prostrate himself until he stood up straight; and when he raised his head after prostration, he did not prostrate (the second time) until he sat down properly; and he recited al-tahiyyat after every pair of rak’ahs; and when he sat, he spread out his left foot and raised his right. He forbade to sit like the sitting of the devil, and to spread out to hands (on the ground in prostration) like animals. He used to finish prayer with uttering the salutation.  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَفْتَتِحُ الصَّلاَةَ بِالتَّكْبِيرِ وَالْقِرَاءَةَ بِ { الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ } وَكَانَ إِذَا رَكَعَ لَمْ يُشْخِصْ رَأْسَهُ وَلَمْ يُصَوِّبْهُ وَلَكِنْ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ وَكَانَ إِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ لَمْ يَسْجُدْ حَتَّى يَسْتَوِيَ قَائِمًا وَكَانَ إِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ السُّجُودِ لَمْ يَسْجُدْ حَتَّى يَسْتَوِيَ قَاعِدًا وَكَانَ يَقُولُ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ التَّحِيَّاتُ وَكَانَ إِذَا جَلَسَ يَفْرِشُ رِجْلَهُ الْيُسْرَى وَيَنْصِبُ رِجْلَهُ الْيُمْنَى وَكَانَ يَنْهَى عَنْ عَقِبِ الشَّيْطَانِ وَعَنْ فِرْشَةِ السَّبُعِ وَكَانَ يَخْتِمُ الصَّلاَةَ بِالتَّسْلِيمِ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: A surah has just been revealed to me. He then recited:”In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Lo! We have given thee Abundance” until he finished it. Then he asked: Do you know what Abundance (al-Kawthar) is? They replied: Allah and His Apostle know it better. He said: It is a river of which my Lord, the Exalted, the Majestic has promised me to give in Paradise.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أُنْزِلَتْ عَلَىَّ آنِفًا سُورَةٌ فَقَرَأَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ { إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ } حَتَّى خَتَمَهَا قَالَ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا الْكَوْثَرُ قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ فَإِنَّهُ نَهْرٌ وَعَدَنِيهِ رَبِّي فِي الْجَنَّةِ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat and unveiled his face and said: “I take refuge in Allah, All-Hearing, All-Knowing from the accursed devil. Lo! They who spread the slander are a gang among you.” Abu Dawud said: This is a rejected (munkar) tradition. A group of narrators have reported this tradition from al-Zuhri; but did not mention this detail. I am afraid the phrase concerning “seeking refuge in Allah” is the statement of Humaid.  

جَلَسَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَكَشَفَ عَنْ وَجْهِهِ وَقَالَ أَعُوذُ بِالسَّمِيعِ الْعَلِيمِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ { إِنَّ الَّذِينَ جَاءُوا بِالإِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌ مِنْكُمْ } الآيَةَ