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.

Al-Bara said: The prostration observed by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, his bowing, and his sitting between the two prostrations were nearly equal.

Al-Bara bin Azib said: I witnessed Muhammed ﷺ –Abu Kamil’s version has the wording: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ-during his prayer. I found his standing like his bowing and prostration and his moderation in bowing was like that of his prostration, and his sitting between the two prostration and his prostration (and his sitting between the salutation) and going away ( after finishing the prayer) were nearly equal to one another. Abu Dawud said: Musaddad said: His bowing and his moderation in bowing and prostration, and his prostration and his sitting between the two prostrations, and his prostration and sitting between the salutation and going away (after finishing the prayer) were nearly equal.

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.

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.