They were with 'Abdullah in his house and he said: "Have these people prayed?" We said: "Yes." So he led them in prayer and stood between them, with no Adhan and no Iqamah, and said: "If you are three then do this, and if you are more than that then let one of you lead the others in prayer, and let him lay his hands on his thighs. It is as if I can see the fingers of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, interlaced.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1029)  

عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ وَالْأَسْوَدِ أَنَّهُمَا كَانَا مَعَ عَبْدِ اللهِ فِي بَيْتِهِ فَقَالَ أَصَلَّى هَؤُلَاءِ؟ قَالَا نَعَمْ فَأَمَّهُمَا ثُمَّ قَامَ بَيْنَهُمَا بِغَيْرِ أَذَانٍ وَلَا إِقَامَةٍ وَقَالَ «إِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلَاثَةً فَاصْنَعُوا هَكَذَا وَإِذَا كُنْتُمْ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَلْيَؤُمَّكُمْ أَحَدُكُمْ وَلْيَفْرِشْ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى فَخِذَيْهِ فَكَأَنَّمَا أَنْظُرُ إِلَى اخْتِلَافِ أَصَابِعِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ»  

[Machine] He stood among us and then he prayed. When we prostrated and placed our hands on the knees, he struck them and they made a sound. When he completed the prayer, he said, "There will be leaders who will kill the prayer, choking it from the east of the dead. That is the prayer of someone who does not find any alternative, and it is worse than a donkey. So pray the prayer at its appointed time and pray it with them a collective prayer. If you are three, all of you should pray together, and if you are more, let one of you lead you in prayer. And when any of you bows, let him place his hands between his knees or between his thighs, and let him hold his fingers firmly together as if he is looking at the difference in the fingers of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ."  

فَقَامَ بَيْنَنَا ثُمَّ صَلَّى فَلَمَّا رَكَعْنَا وَضَعْنَا أَيْدِينَا عَلَى الرُّكَبِ فَضَرَبَهَا فَإِذَا هُوَ قَدْ طَبَّقَ فَلَمَّا قَضَى الصَّلَاةَ قَالَ «إِنَّهَا سَتَكُونُ أُمَرَاءٌ يُمِيتُونَ الصَّلَاةَ يَخْنُقُونَهَا شَرَقَ الْمَوْتَى وَتِلْكَ صَلَاةُ مَنْ لَا يَجِدُ بُدًّا وَمَنْ هُوَ شَرٌّ مِنْ حِمَارٍ فَصَلَّوَا الصَّلَاةَ لِمِيقَاتِهَا وَصَلَّوْا مَعَهُمْ سُبْحَةً فَإِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلَاثَةً فَصَلَّوْا جَمِيعًا وَإِذَا كُنْتُمْ أَكْثَرَ فَلْيَؤُمَّكُمْ أَحَدُكُمْ وَإِذَا رَكَعَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَضَعْ يَدَيْهِ بَيْنَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ أَوْ بَيْنَ فَخِذَيْهِ وَلْيُجَبِّ فَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى اخْتِلَافِ أَصَابِعِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ»  

I saw ‘ Uthman b. ‘ Affan (perform ablution). He washed his forearms three times and washed his head thrice. He then said : I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ doing like that. Abu Dawud said: Another version says: "He performed ablution three times only." (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 110)  

وَقَالَ «رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَفْعَلُهُ»  

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught us the prayer. He stood up and said the takbir, and when he wanted to bow, he put his hands together and put his hands between his knees and bowed." News of that reached Sa'd and he said: "My brother has spoken the truth. We used to do that, then we were commanded to do this," meaning to hold the knees. (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1031)  

عَلَّمَنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ الصَّلَاةَ فَقَامَ فَكَبَّرَ فَلَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَرْكَعَ طَبَّقَ يَدَيْهِ بَيْنَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ وَرَكَعَ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ سَعْدًا فَقَالَ صَدَقَ أَخِي قَدْ كُنَّا نَفْعَلُ هَذَا ثُمَّ أُمِرْنَا بِهَذَا يَعْنِي الْإِمْسَاكَ بِالرُّكَبِ