Then
he (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) would commence the
prayer by saying:
Allaah is the Greatest60
He
ordered "the man who prayed badly" to do likewise as has
been mentioned, and he said to him: Verily, the
prayer of a person is not complete until he has made an
ablution which has included the necessary parts of the
body and has then said: 'Allaahu Akbar'.61
He
would also used to say: The key to the prayer is
purification, it is entered by takbeer and exited by
tasleem.62
Also, "he used to raise his voice for the takbeer
such that those behind him could hear."63
But, "when he fell ill Abu Bakr used to raise his voice
to convey the takbeer of the Messenger (sallallaahu
'alaihi wa sallam) to the people."64
He
would also say: When the Imaam says: Allaahu Akbar,
then say: Allaahu Akbar.65
He
would raise his hands sometimes with the takbeer,66
sometimes after the takbeer,67
and sometimes before it.68
"He
would raise them with fingers apart [not spaced out, nor
together]",69
and "he would put them level with his shoulders"70,
although occasionally, "he would raise them until they
were level with [the tops of] his ears."71
"He
(sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) used to place his right
arm on his left arm"72,
and he used to say: We, the company of prophets, have
been commanded to hasten the breaking of the fast, to
delay the meal before the fast, and to place our right
arms on our left arms during prayer.73
Also
"he passed by a man who was praying and had placed his
left arm on his right, so he pulled them apart and
placed the right on the left."74
"He
used to place the right arm on the back of his left
palm, wrist and forearm"75,
"and he commanded his companions to do likewise"76,
and (sometimes) "he would grasp his left arm with his
right."77
"He
used to place them on his chest."78
Also
"he used to forbid putting one's hand on the waist
during prayer [and he put his hand on his waist (to
demonstrate)]"79.
And this is the "silb" which he used to forbid.80
