The Messenger of Allah ﷺ one day led us in the prayer. and when he completed the Prayer he turned his face towards us and said: 0 People, I am your Imam, so do not precede me in bowing and prostration and in standing and turning (faces, i. e. In pronouncing salutation), for I see you in front of me and behind me, and then said: By Him in Whose hand Is the life of Muhammad, if you could see what I see, you would have laughed little and wept much more. They said: What did you see, Messenger of Allah? He replied: (I saw) Paradise and Hell. (Using translation from Muslim 426a)   

صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ فَلَمَّا قَضَى الصَّلَاةَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَيْنَا بِوَجْهِهِ فَقَالَ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي إِمَامُكُمْ فَلَا تَسْبِقُونِي بِالرُّكُوعِ وَلَا بِالسُّجُودِ وَلَا بِالْقِيَامِ وَلَا بِالِانْصِرَافِ فَإِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ أَمَامِي وَمِنْ خَلْفِي ثُمَّ قَالَ وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لَوْ رَأَيْتُمْ مَا رَأَيْتُ لَضَحِكْتُمْ قَلِيلًا وَلَبَكَيْتُمْ كَثِيرًا قَالُوا وَمَا رَأَيْتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ؟ قَالَ رَأَيْتُ الْجَنَّةَ وَالنَّارَ  

[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ used to teach us not to preempt the Imam in bowing, and when he says "Allahu Akbar," say "Allahu Akbar," and when he says "not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray," say "Ameen." For when the words of the angels coincide with his words, the sins of those present in the mosque are forgiven. And when he prostrates, prostrate. And when he says "Allah hears whoever praises Him," say "Our Lord, and to You is the praise." And when he says "And when he prostrates," prostrate.  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُعَلِّمُنَا أَنْ لَا تُبَادِرُوا الْإِمَامَ بِالرُّكُوعِ فَإِذَا كَبَّرَ فَكَبِّرُوا وَإِذَا قَالَ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ فَقُولُوا آمِينَ فَإِنَّهُ إِذَا وَافَقَ كَلَامَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ غُفِرَ لِمَنْ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَإِذَا رَكَعَ فَارْكَعُوا وَإِذَا قَالَ سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ فَقُولُوا رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ وَإِذَا سَجَدَ فَاسْجُدُوا  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Indeed, the imam has been appointed to be followed, so when he says 'Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest),' say 'Allahu Akbar,' and when he bows, bow, and when he raises his head, raise your heads, and when he says 'Sami Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears whoever praises Him),' say all together 'Allahumma Rabbana lakal hamd (O Allah, our Lord, all praise is for You),' and when he prostrates, prostrate, and do not prostrate before he does, and when he raises his head, raise your heads, and do not raise your heads before he does.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الْإِمَامُ لِيُؤْتَمَّ بِهِ فَإِذَا كَبَّرَ فَكَبِّرُوا وَإِذَا رَكَعَ فَارْكَعُوا وَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَارْفَعُوا رُءُوسَكُمْ وَإِذَا قَالَ سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ فَقُولُوا جَمِيعًا اللهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ وَإِذَا سَجَدَ فَاسْجُدُوا وَلَا تَسْجُدُوا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَسْجُدَ وَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَارْفَعُوا رُءُوسَكُمْ وَلَا تَرْفَعُوا رُءُوسَكُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَ  

[Machine] Al-Baraa ibn Aazib narrated that they used to pray with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , so whenever he went into bowing, they would also bow, and when he raised his head from bowing, he would say, "Allah listens to the one who praises Him; Our standing will not be complete until we see him placing his face on the ground." Then we would follow him. In a narration by Ibn Abdaan, his forehead would touch the ground and then we would prostrate.  

ثنا الْبَرَاءُ بْنُ عَازِبٍ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُصَلُّونَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَإِذَا رَكَعَ رَكَعُوا وَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ فَقَالَ سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ لَمْ نَزَلْ قِيَامًا حَتَّى نَرَاهُ قَدْ وَضَعَ وَجْهَهُ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ نَتَّبِعُهُ وَفِي حَدِيثِ ابْنِ عَبْدَانَ جَبْهَتَهُ بِالْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ نَسْجُدُ  

They used to say prayer behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I never saw anyone bending his back at the time when he (the Holy Prophet) raised his head, till the Messenger of Allah ﷺ placed his forehead on the ground. They then fell in prostration after him. (Using translation from Muslim 474a)   

حَدَّثَنِي الْبَرَاءُ وَهُوَ غَيْرُ كَذُوبٍ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُصَلُّونَ خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ لَمْ أَرَ أَحَدًا يَحْنِي ظَهْرَهُ حَتَّى يَضَعَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ جَبْهَتَهُ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يَخِرَّ مَنْ وَرَاءَهُ سُجَّدًا  

[Machine] He heard Muawiyah on the pulpit saying, "Verily, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Do not hasten to bow and prostrate before me, for I am a human being. No matter how much you hasten before me when I am bowing, you will catch up with me when I rise back up. And no matter how much you hasten before me when I am prostrating, you will catch up with me when I rise back up.' And so it is."  

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ مُعَاوِيَةَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ يَقُولُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ لَا تَسْبِقُونِي بِالرُّكُوعِ وَالسُّجُودِ فَإِنِّي قَدْ بَدُنْتُ فَمَهْمَا أَسْبِقْكُمْ بِهِ حِينَ أَرْكَعُ تُدْرِكُونِي حِينَ أَرْفَعُ وَمَهْمَا أَسْبِقْكُمْ بِهِ حِينَ أَسْجُدُ تُدْرِكُونِي حِينَ أَرْفَعُ وَكَذَلِكَ  

[Machine] I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, "O people, I have surpassed you in hastening in the bowing and prostration, but you surpass me in what has passed you. It has not been confirmed from our scholars whether it is 'Bedontu' or 'Baddantu', and Abu 'Ubayd chose 'Baddantu' with an emphasis and placing the dal meaning I have increased in size. Whoever says 'Bedontu' with a raised dal, then he intended excessive flesh."  

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ يَأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي قَدْ بَدُنْتُ فَلَا تَسْبِقُونِي بِالرُّكُوعِ وَالسُّجُودِ وَلَكِنْ أَسْبِقُكُمْ إِنَّكُمْ تُدْرِكُونَ مَا فَاتَكُمْ لَمْ يُضْبَطْ عَنْ شُيُوخِنَا بَدُنْتُ أَوْ بَدَّنْتُ وَاخْتَارَ أَبُو عُبَيْدٍ بَدَّنْتُ بِالتَّشْدِيدِ وَنَصْبِ الدَّالِ يَعْنِي كَبِرْتُ مَنْ قَالَ بَدُنْتُ بِرَفْعِ الدَّالِ فَإِنَّهُ أَرَادَ كَثْرَةَ اللَّحْمِ