Moderation In All Pillars Of The Prayer, And Making It Brief Yet Complete

Al-Bara' b. 'Azib reported:

I noticed the prayer of Muhammad (ﷺ) and saw his Qiyam (standing), his bowing, and then going back to the standing posture after bowing, his prostration, his sitting between the two prostrations, and his prostration and sitting between salutation and going away, all these were nearly equal to one another.

وَحَدَّثَنَا حَامِدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْبَكْرَاوِيُّ، وَأَبُو كَامِلٍ فُضَيْلُ بْنُ حُسَيْنٍ الْجَحْدَرِيُّ كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ أَبِي عَوَانَةَ، - قَالَ حَامِدٌ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، - عَنْ هِلاَلِ بْنِ أَبِي حُمَيْدٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ، قَالَ رَمَقْتُ الصَّلاَةَ مَعَ مُحَمَّدٍ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَوَجَدْتُ قِيَامَهُ فَرَكْعَتَهُ فَاعْتِدَالَهُ بَعْدَ رُكُوعِهِ فَسَجْدَتَهُ فَجَلْسَتَهُ بَيْنَ السَّجْدَتَيْنِ فَسَجْدَتَهُ فَجَلْسَتَهُ مَا بَيْنَ التَّسْلِيمِ وَالاِنْصِرَافِ قَرِيبًا مِنَ السَّوَاءِ ‏.‏

Hakam reported:

There dominated in Kufa a man whose name was men- tioned as Zaman b. al-Ash'ath, who ordered Abu 'Ubaidah b. 'Abdullah to lead people in prayer and he accordingly used to lead them. Whenever he raised his head after bowing, he stood up equal to the time that I can recite (this supplication): O Allah! our Lord! unto You be the praise which would fill the heavens and the earth, and that which will please You besides them I Worthy are You of all praise and glory. None can prevent that which You bestowest, and none can bestow that whichthou preventest. And the greatness of the great will not avail him against You. Hakam (the narrator) said: I made a mention of that to Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Laila who reported: I heard al-Bara' b. 'Azib say that the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and his bowing, and when he lifted his head from bowing, and his prostration, and between the two prostrations (all these acts) were nearly proportionate. I made a mention of that to 'Ar b. Murrah and he said: I saw Ibn Abi Laili (saying the prayer), but his prayer was not like this.

وَحَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ الْعَنْبَرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنِ الْحَكَمِ، قَالَ غَلَبَ عَلَى الْكُوفَةِ رَجُلٌ - قَدْ سَمَّاهُ - زَمَنَ ابْنِ الأَشْعَثِ فَأَمَرَ أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ بِالنَّاسِ فَكَانَ يُصَلِّي فَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ قَامَ قَدْرَ مَا أَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ مِلْءَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَمِلْءَ الأَرْضِ وَمِلْءَ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ شَىْءٍ بَعْدُ أَهْلَ الثَّنَاءِ وَالْمَجْدِ لاَ مَانِعَ لِمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَلاَ مُعْطِيَ لِمَا مَنَعْتَ وَلاَ يَنْفَعُ ذَا الْجَدِّ مِنْكَ الْجَدُّ ‏.‏ قَالَ الْحَكَمُ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِعَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ الْبَرَاءَ بْنَ عَازِبٍ يَقُولُ كَانَتْ صَلاَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَرُكُوعُهُ وَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ وَسُجُودُهُ وَمَا بَيْنَ السَّجْدَتَيْنِ قَرِيبًا مِنَ السَّوَاءِ ‏.‏ قَالَ شُعْبَةُ فَذَكَرْتُهُ لِعَمْرِو بْنِ مُرَّةَ فَقَالَ قَدْ رَأَيْتُ ابْنَ أَبِي لَيْلَى فَلَمْ تَكُنْ صَلاَتُهُ هَكَذَا ‏.‏

Hakam reported:

When Matar b. Najiya dominated Kufa he ordered Abu Ubaida to lead people in prayer, and the rest of the hadith is the same.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَابْنُ، بَشَّارٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنِ الْحَكَمِ، أَنَّ مَطَرَ بْنَ نَاجِيَةَ، لَمَّا ظَهَرَ عَلَى الْكُوفَةِ أَمَرَ أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ، بِالنَّاسِ ‏.‏ وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ ‏.‏

Thabit reported it on the authority of Anas:

While leading you in prayer I do not shorten anything in the prayer. I pray as I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) leading us. He (Thabit) said: Anas used to do that which I do not see you doing; when he lifted his head from bowing he stood up (so long) that one would say: He has forgotten (to baw down in prostration). And when he lifted his head from prostration, he stayed in that position, till someone would say: He has forgotten (to bow down in prostration for the second sajda).

حَدَّثَنَا خَلَفُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ إِنِّي لاَ آلُو أَنْ أُصَلِّيَ بِكُمْ كَمَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُصَلِّي بِنَا ‏.‏ قَالَ فَكَانَ أَنَسٌ يَصْنَعُ شَيْئًا لاَ أَرَاكُمْ تَصْنَعُونَهُ كَانَ إِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ انْتَصَبَ قَائِمًا حَتَّى يَقُولَ الْقَائِلُ قَدْ نَسِيَ ‏.‏ وَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ السَّجْدَةِ مَكَثَ حَتَّى يَقُولَ الْقَائِلُ قَدْ نَسِيَ ‏.‏

Thabit reported it on the authority of Anas:

I have never said such a light and perfect prayer as I said behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The prayer of the Messenger. of Allah (ﷺ) was well balanced. And so too was the prayer of Abu Bakr well balanced. When it was the time of 'Umar b. al-Khattab he prolonged the morning prayer. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Allah listened to him who praised Him, he stood erect till we said: He has forgotten. He then prostrated and sat between two prostration till we said: He has forgotten.

وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ نَافِعٍ الْعَبْدِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا بَهْزٌ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا ثَابِتٌ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ مَا صَلَّيْتُ خَلْفَ أَحَدٍ أَوْجَزَ صَلاَةً مِنْ صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي تَمَامٍ كَانَتْ صَلاَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مُتَقَارِبَةً وَكَانَتْ صَلاَةُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ مُتَقَارِبَةً فَلَمَّا كَانَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ مَدَّ فِي صَلاَةِ الْفَجْرِ وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا قَالَ ‏

‏ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ ‏

‏ ‏.‏ قَامَ حَتَّى نَقُولَ قَدْ أَوْهَمَ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ يَسْجُدُ وَيَقْعُدُ بَيْنَ السَّجْدَتَيْنِ حَتَّى نَقُولَ قَدْ أَوْهَمَ ‏.‏