Narrated Abu Masud al-Badri: The Prophet ﷺ said: A man's prayer does not avail him unless he keeps his back steady when bowing and prostrating.

Abu Hurairah said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered the mosque, a man also entered it and prayed. He then came and saluted the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned the salutation and said to him: Go back and pray, for you have not prayed. The man returned and prayed as he prayed before. He then came to Prophet ﷺ and saluted him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him: “ And upon you be peace. “ Go back and pray, for you have not prayed. He did so three times. Then the man said: By Him who has sent you (as a Prophet) with truth; I cannot do better than this; so teach me. He said: When you get up to pray, utter the takbir (Allah is most great); then recite a convenient portion of the Quran; then bow and remain quietly in that position; then sit and remain quietly in that position; then raise yourself and stand erect: then prostrate yourself and remain quietly in that position; then sit and remain quietly in that position; then do that throughout all your prayer. Abu Dawud said: Al-Qanabi reported this tradition from Saeed bin Abi Saeed on the authority of Abu Hurairah. This version has the wording in the last: When you do this, then your prayer is completed. If you omit anything form this, you omit that much from your prayer. This version also has the wording: when you get up for praying, perform the abulation perfectly.

Narrated Rifaah ibn Rafi: A man entered the mosque. . . . . . He then narrated the tradition like the one narrated in (No. 855). This version is as follows: The Prophet ﷺ said: The prayer of anyone is not perfect unless he performs ablution perfectly; he should then utter the takbir, and praise Allah, the Exalted, and admire Him; he should then recite the Quran as much as he desires. He should then say: "Allah is Most Great". Next he should bow so that all his joints return to their proper places. Then he should say: "Allah listens to the one who praises Him", and stand erect. He should then say: "Allah is most great, " and should prostrate himself so that all his joints are completely at rest. Then he should say: "Allah is most great"; he should raise his head (at the end of prostration) till he sits erect. Then he should say: "Allah is most great"; then he should prostrate himself till all his joints return to their proper places. Then he should raise his head and say the takbir. When he does so, then his prayer is completed.

Narrated Rifaah ibn Rafi: This version (of Hadith No 856) adds: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: The prayer of any of you is not complete until he performs ablution perfectly, as Allah, the Exalted, has ordered you. He should wash his face and hands up to the elbows, and wipe his head and (wash) his feet up to the ankles. Then he should exalt Allah and praise Him. Then he should recite the Quran as much as it is convenient for him. (Narrator then narrated the tradition like Hammad's, No. 856). He said: He then utter the takbir and prostration himself so that his face is at rest. Hammam (sub-narrator) said: Sometimes he reported: So that his forehead is at rest on the ground, and his joints return to their places and are loosened. Then he should say the takbir and then sit right on his hips and erect his back. He described the nature of prayer in this way by offering four rak'ahs until he finished it. The prayer of any of you is not complete unless he does so.

This tradition has also been transmitted through a different chain of narrators by Rifaah bin Rafi. This version goes: When you get up and face the qiblah, what Allah wishes you to recite. And when you bow, put your palms on your knees and stretch out your back. When you prostrate yourself, do it completely ( so that you are at the rest). When you raise yourself then sit on your left thigh.

This tradition has also been transmitted by Rifaah b Rafi through a different chain of narrators. This version has: When you get up to pray, say the takbir, exalting Allah; then recite the Quran as much as it is convenient for you. The version adds: When you sit in the middle of the prayer, do it completely (so that you are at rest) and spread your left thigh; then recite the tashahhud. Then if you get up (again), do in a similar way until you finish your prayer.

Rifaah bin Rafi has also narrated this tradition through a different chain from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. This version goes: Then perform ablution in a way Allah, the exalted, has command you, then say the shahadah and get up and say the takbir. Then if you know any of the Quran, recite it; otherwise say: “Praise be to Allah”; “Allah is most great”; “ There is no god but Allah” He ( the narrator) also said in this version: If some defect remains in this, that detect will remain in your prayer.

Narrated Abdur Rahman ibn Shibl: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prohibited to peck like a crow, and to spread (the forearms) like a wild beast, and to fix a place in the mosque like a camel which fixes its place. These are the wordings of Qutaybah.

Narrated Uqbah ibn Amr al-Ansari: Salim al-Barrad said: We came to Abu Masud Uqbah ibn Amr al-Ansari and said to him: Tell us about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He stood up before us in the mosque and said the takbir. When he bowed, he placed his hands upon his knees and put his fingers below, and kept his elbows (arms) away from his sides, so everything returned properly to its place. Then he said: "Allah listens to him who praises Him"; then he stood up so that everything returned properly to its place; then he said the takbir and prostrated and put the palms of his hands on the ground; he kept his elbow (arms) away from his sides, so that everything returned to its proper place. Then he raised his head and sat so that everything returned to its place; he then repeated it in a similar way. Then he offered four rak'ahs of prayer like this rak'ah and completed his prayer. Then he said: Thus we witnessed the Messenger of Allah ﷺ offering his prayer.