"I said: 'I am going to watch the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and see how he prays.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up and faced the Qiblah, then he raised his hands until they were in level with his ears, then he held his left hand with his right. When he wanted to bow, he raised them (his hands) likewise, then placed his hands on his knees. When he raised his head from bowing, he raised them (his hands) likewise. When he prostrated he put his hands in the same position in relation to his head, then he sat up and lay his left foot on the ground. He placed his left hand on his left thigh and his right elbow on his right thigh, and made a circle with two of his fingers. And I saw him doing like this"- Bishr (one of the narrators) pointed with the forefinger of his right hand and made a circle with the thumb and middle finger.  

قُلْتُ لأَنْظُرَنَّ إِلَى صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَيْفَ يُصَلِّي فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَاسْتَقْبَلَ الْقِبْلَةَ فَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى حَاذَتَا أُذُنَيْهِ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ شِمَالَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَلَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَرْكَعَ رَفَعَهُمَا مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ وَوَضَعَ يَدَيْهِ عَلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ فَلَمَّا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ رَفَعَهُمَا مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ فَلَمَّا سَجَدَ وَضَعَ رَأْسَهُ بِذَلِكَ الْمَنْزِلِ مِنْ يَدَيْهِ ثُمَّ جَلَسَ فَافْتَرَشَ رِجْلَهُ الْيُسْرَى وَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ الْيُسْرَى عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُسْرَى وَحَدَّ مِرْفَقَهُ الأَيْمَنَ عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُمْنَى وَقَبَضَ ثِنْتَيْنِ وَحَلَّقَ وَرَأَيْتُهُ يَقُولُ هَكَذَا وَأَشَارَ بِشْرٌ بِالسَّبَّابَةِ مِنَ الْيُمْنَى وَحَلَّقَ الإِبْهَامَ وَالْوُسْطَى  

"I said: 'I am going to watch how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prays.' So I watched him and he stood and said the takbir, and raised his hands until they were in the level with his ears, then he placed his right hand over his left hand, wrist and lower forearm. When he wanted to bow he raised his hands likewise. Then he prostrated and placed his hands in level with his ears. Then he sat up and placed his left leg under him; he put his left hand on his left thigh and knee, and he put the edge of his right elbow on his right thigh, then he held two of his fingers together and made a circle, and raised his forefinger, and I saw him moving it and supplicating with it."  

أَخْبَرَهُ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَنْظُرَنَّ إِلَى صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَيْفَ يُصَلِّي فَنَظَرْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَامَ فَكَبَّرَ وَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى حَاذَتَا بِأُذُنَيْهِ ثُمَّ وَضَعَ يَدَهُ الْيُمْنَى عَلَى كَفِّهِ الْيُسْرَى وَالرُّسْغِ وَالسَّاعِدِ فَلَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَرْكَعَ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ مِثْلَهَا قَالَ وَوَضَعَ يَدَيْهِ عَلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ ثُمَّ لَمَّا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ مِثْلَهَا ثُمَّ سَجَدَ فَجَعَلَ كَفَّيْهِ بِحِذَاءِ أُذُنَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَعَدَ وَافْتَرَشَ رِجْلَهُ الْيُسْرَى وَوَضَعَ كَفَّهُ الْيُسْرَى عَلَى فَخِذِهِ وَرُكْبَتِهِ الْيُسْرَى وَجَعَلَ حَدَّ مِرْفَقِهِ الأَيْمَنِ عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُمْنَى ثُمَّ قَبَضَ اثْنَتَيْنِ مِنْ أَصَابِعِهِ وَحَلَّقَ حَلْقَةً ثُمَّ رَفَعَ إِصْبَعَهُ فَرَأَيْتُهُ يُحَرِّكُهَا يَدْعُو بِهَا  

I purposely looked at the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, how he offered it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up, faced the direction of the qiblah and uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) and then raised his hands in front of his ears, then placed his right hand on his left (catching each other). When he was about to bow, he raised them in the same manner. He then placed his hands on his knees. When he raised his head after bowing, he raised them in the like manner. When he prostrated himself he placed his forehead between his hands. He then sat down and spread his left foot and placed his left hand on his left thigh, and kept his right elbow aloof from his right thigh. He closed his two fingers and made a circle (with the fingers). I (Asim ibn Kulayb) saw him (Bishr ibn al-Mufaddal) say in this manner. Bishr made the circle with the thumb and the middle finger and pointed with the forefinger.  

قُلْتُ لأَنْظُرَنَّ إِلَى صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَيْفَ يُصَلِّي قَالَ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَاسْتَقْبَلَ الْقِبْلَةَ فَكَبَّرَ فَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى حَاذَتَا أُذُنَيْهِ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ شِمَالَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَلَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَرْكَعَ رَفَعَهُمَا مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ وَضَعَ يَدَيْهِ عَلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ فَلَمَّا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ رَفَعَهُمَا مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ فَلَمَّا سَجَدَ وَضَعَ رَأْسَهُ بِذَلِكَ الْمَنْزِلِ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ ثُمَّ جَلَسَ فَافْتَرَشَ رِجْلَهُ الْيُسْرَى وَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ الْيُسْرَى عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُسْرَى وَحَدَّ مِرْفَقَهُ الأَيْمَنَ عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُمْنَى وَقَبَضَ ثِنْتَيْنِ وَحَلَّقَ حَلْقَةً وَرَأَيْتُهُ يَقُولُ هَكَذَا وَحَلَّقَ بِشْرٌ الإِبْهَامَ وَالْوُسْطَى وَأَشَارَ بِالسَّبَّابَةِ  

[Machine] I saw the Prophet ﷺ start the prayer by saying the takbeer, raising his hands, then taking his left hand with his right hand. When he wanted to bow, he said the takbeer, raised his hands, placed his palms on his knees, and spread his fingers. When he raised his head, he said the takbeer and raised his hands. When he prostrated, he placed his forehead between his palms, and straightened his fingers and toes. When he raised up, he raised his left leg and straightened his right leg and when he sat down, he placed his left hand on his left thigh and his right elbow on his right thigh, and closed his middle finger and the one next to it, and clenched the thumb, and pointed with his index finger to make his supplication.  

«رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ افْتَتَحَ الصَّلَاةَ وَكَبَّرَ وَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ شِمَالَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَلَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَرْكَعَ كَبَّرَ فَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ فَوَضَعَ رَاحَتَيْهِ عَلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ وَفَرَّجَ بَيْنَ أَصَابِعِهِ فَلَمَّا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ كَبَّرَ وَرَفَعَ فَلَمَّا سَجَدَ وَضَعَ جَبِينَهُ بَيْنَ كَفَّيْهِ وَنَصَبَ أَصَابِعَ رِجْلَيْهِ فَلَمَّا رَفَعَ ثَنَّى رِجْلَهُ الْيُسْرَى وَنَصَبَ أَصَابِعَ رِجْلَهِ الْيُمْنَى فَلَمَّا جَلَسَ وَضَعَ كَفَّهُ الْيُسْرَى عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُسْرَى وَوَضَعَ مِرْفَقَهُ الْيُمْنَى عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُمْنَى وَعَقَدَ الْخِنْصَرَ وَالَّتِي تَلِيهَا وَحَلَّقَ بِالْوُسْطَى وَالْإِبْهَامِ وَأَشَارَ بِالسَّبَّابَةِ يَدْعُو بِهَا»  

[Machine] I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, "I will memorize the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." When he began the prayer, he raised his hands until they were level with his ears, then he took his left hand with his right hand. When he said the takbeer for ruku', he also raised his hands as he did for the takbeer of the prayer. When he bowed, he placed his hands on his knees. When he raised his head from ruku', he also raised his hands. When he sat for the tashahhud, he rested his left foot on the ground and sat on it, placing his left palm on his left thigh and his right forearm on his right thigh, making a ring with his fingers using his thumb and middle finger, and then he raised his other hand and made du'a with it.  

صَلَّيْتُ خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ لَأَحْفَظَنَّ صَلَاةَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَلَمَّا افْتَتَحَ الصَّلَاةَ كَبَّرَ وَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى حَاذَتَا بِأُذُنَيْهِ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ شِمَالَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَلَمَّا كَبَّرَ لِلرُّكُوعِ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ أَيْضًا كَمَا رَفَعَهُمَا لِتَكْبِيرَةِ الصَّلَاةِ فَلَمَّا رَكَعَ وَضَعَ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ فَلَمَّا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ أَيْضًا فَلَمَّا قَعَدَ يَتَشَهَّدُ افْتَرَشَ رِجْلَهُ الْيُسْرَى بِالْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ قَعَدَ عَلَيْهَا فَوَضَعَ كَفَّهُ الْأَيْسَرَ عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُسْرَى وَوَضَعَ مِرْفَقَهُ الْأَيْمَنَ عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُمْنَى ثُمَّ عَقَدَ أَصَابِعَهُ وَجَعَلَ حَلْقَةً بِالْإِبْهَامِ وَالْوُسْطَى ثُمَّ جَعَلَ يَدْعُو بِالْأُخْرَى  

"I said: 'I am going to watch how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prays.' So I watched him and he stood and said the takbir, and raised his hands until they were in the level with his ears, then he placed his right hand over his left hand, wrist and lower forearm. When he wanted to bow he raised his hands likewise. Then he prostrated and placed his hands in level with his ears. Then he sat up and placed his left leg under him; he put his left hand on his left thigh and knee, and he put the edge of his right elbow on his right thigh, then he held two of his fingers together and made a circle, and raised his forefinger, and I saw him moving it and supplicating with it." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 889)  

أَخْبَرَهُ قَالَ «قُلْتُ لَأَنْظُرَنَّ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ كَيْفَ يُصَلِّي فَنَظَرْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَامَ فَكَبَّرَ وَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى حَاذَتَا بِأُذُنَيْهِ ثُمَّ وَضْعَ يَدِهِ الْيُمْنَى عَلَى كَفِّهِ الْيُسْرَى وَالرُّسْغِ وَالسَّاعِدِ ثُمَّ لَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَرْكَعَ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ مَثَلَهَا» قَالَ «وَوَضَعَ يَدَيْهِ عَلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ ثُمَّ لَمَّا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ مَثَلَهَا ثُمَّ سَجَدَ فَجَعَلَ كَفَّيْهِ بِحِذَاءِ أُذُنَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَعَدَ وَافْتَرَشَ رِجْلَهُ الْيُسْرَى وَوَضَعَ كَفَّهُ الْيُسْرَى عَلَى فَخِذِهِ وَرُكْبَتِهِ الْيُسْرَى وَجَعَلَ حَدَّ مِرْفَقِهِ الْأَيْمَنِ عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُمْنَى ثُمَّ قَبَضَ اثْنَتَيْنِ مِنْ أَصَابِعِهِ وَحَلَّقَ حَلَقَةً ثُمَّ رَفَعَ إصْبُعَهُ فَرَأَيْتُهُ يُحَرِّكُهَا يَدْعُو بِهَا»