"Anas bin Malik was asked about the takbir in the prayer. He said: "The takbir should be said when bowing, when prostrating, when raising one's head from prostration and when standing up following the first two rak'ahs.' Hutaim said: 'From whom did you learn this?' He said: 'From the Prophet (ﷺ), Abu Bakr and 'Umar, may Allah (SWT) be pleased with them.' Then he fell silent and Hutaim said to him: 'And 'Uthman?' He said: 'And 'Uthman.'"
"Ali bin Abi Talib prayed, and he said the takbir every time he went down and came up, in all movements of the prayer. 'Imran bin Husain said: 'This reminds me of the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).'"
When the Prophet (ﷺ) stood up following two prostrations, he would say the takbir and raise his hands until they were level with his shoulders, as he had done at the beginning of the prayer.
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to raise his hands when he began to pray, when he wanted to bow, when he raised his head from bowing, and when he stood up after the first two rak'ahs, he would raise his hands likewise, level with his shoulders.
Chapter 4: Raising the hands, and praising and extolling Allah during the prayer - كتاب السهو
It was narrated that Sahl bin Sa'd said:
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بَزِيعٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ - عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، قَالَ انْطَلَقَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُصْلِحُ بَيْنَ بَنِي عَمْرِو بْنِ عَوْفٍ فَحَضَرَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَجَاءَ الْمُؤَذِّنُ إِلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ فَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَجْمَعَ النَّاسَ وَيَؤُمَّهُمْ فَجَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَخَرَقَ الصُّفُوفَ حَتَّى قَامَ فِي الصَّفِّ الْمُقَدَّمِ وَصَفَّحَ النَّاسُ بِأَبِي بَكْرٍ لِيُؤْذِنُوهُ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ لاَ يَلْتَفِتُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَلَمَّا أَكْثَرُوا عَلِمَ أَنَّهُ قَدْ نَابَهُمْ شَىْءٌ فِي صَلاَتِهِمْ فَالْتَفَتَ فَإِذَا هُوَ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَوْمَأَ إِلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَىْ كَمَا أَنْتَ فَرَفَعَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ يَدَيْهِ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ لِقَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ رَجَعَ الْقَهْقَرَى وَتَقَدَّمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَصَلَّى فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ قَالَ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ " مَا مَنَعَكَ إِذْ أَوْمَأْتُ إِلَيْكَ أَنْ تُصَلِّيَ " . فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رضى الله عنه مَا كَانَ يَنْبَغِي لاِبْنِ أَبِي قُحَافَةَ أَنْ يَؤُمَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم . ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلنَّاسِ " مَا بَالُكُمْ صَفَّحْتُمْ إِنَّمَا التَّصْفِيحُ لِلنِّسَاءِ " . ثُمَّ قَالَ " إِذَا نَابَكُمْ شَىْءٌ فِي صَلاَتِكُمْ فَسَبِّحُوا " .
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) set out to bring about reconciliation among Banu 'Amr bin 'Awf. The time for prayer came, and the Mu'adhdhin went to Abu Bakr to tell him to gather the people and lead them in prayer. Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came and passed though the rows until he stood in the first row. The people started clapping to let Abu Bakr know that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had come. Abu Bakr never used to turn around when he prayed, but when they clapped consistently he realized something must have happened while they were praying. So he turned around and saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) gestured to him to stay where he was. Abu Bakr raised his hands and praised and thanked Allah (SWT) for what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had said. Then, he moved backwards, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went forward and prayed. When he finished, he said to Abu Bakr: 'What stopped you from continuing to pray when I gestured to you?' Abu Bakr, may Allah (SWT) be pleased with him, said: 'It was not appropriate for the son of Abu Quhafah to lead the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in prayer.' Then he said to the people: 'Why did you clap?' Clapping is for women.' Then he said: 'If you notice something when you are praying, say "SubhanAllah.'"
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out to us and we were raising our hands during the Salah. He said: 'Why are you raising your hands while praying, like the tails of wild horses? Stay still when you are praying.'"
"We used to pray behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and we would greet (others) with our hands. He said: 'What is the matter with those who greet (others) with their hands as if they were tails of wild horses? It is sufficient for any one of you to put his hand on his thigh and say: "As-salamu 'alaikum, as-salamu 'alaikum."
Chapter 6: Returning the salams with a gesture when praying - كتاب السهو
It was narrated that Suhaib, the Companion of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ بُكَيْرٍ، عَنْ نَابِلٍ، صَاحِبِ الْعَبَاءِ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنْ صُهَيْبٍ، صَاحِبِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ مَرَرْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَرَدَّ عَلَىَّ إِشَارَةً وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ بِإِصْبَعِهِ .
"I passed by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when he was praying, and greeted him with Salam. He returned my greeting with a gesture, or maybe it was just with his finger."
Chapter 6: Returning the salams with a gesture when praying - كتاب السهو
It was narrated that Zaid bin Aslam said:
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ الْمَكِّيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، قَالَ قَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ دَخَلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَسْجِدَ قُبَاءَ لِيُصَلِّيَ فِيهِ فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ رِجَالٌ يُسَلِّمُونَ عَلَيْهِ فَسَأَلْتُ صُهَيْبًا وَكَانَ مَعَهُ كَيْفَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَصْنَعُ إِذَا سُلِّمَ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ كَانَ يُشِيرُ بِيَدِهِ .
"Ibn 'Umar said:
The Prophet (ﷺ) entered the Masjid of Quba' to pray there, then some men came in and greeted him with Salam. I asked Suhaib, who was with him: 'What did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) do when he was greeted?' He said: 'He used to gesture with his hand.'"
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent me on an errand then I came back to him while he was praying. I greeted him with the salam and he gestured to me. When he finished he called me and said: 'You greeted me with Salam just now and I was praying.' And he was facing toward the east that day."
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent me on an errand, then I came back to him while he was facing the east or the west. I greeted him with salam and he gestured to me. Then when he finished he called me and said: "O Jabir!" So I came and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I greeted you with Salam but you did not answer." He said: 'I was praying.'
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "What is the matter with people who lift their gaze to the sky when praying?" And he spoke sternly concerning that until he said: "They must stop that or they will certainly lose their eyesight."
Chapter 9: The prohibition of lifting one's gaze to the sky when praying - كتاب السهو
It was narrated from 'Ubaidullah bin Abdullah that:
أَخْبَرَنَا سُوَيْدُ بْنُ نَصْرٍ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، عَنْ يُونُسَ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ
" إِذَا كَانَ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَلاَ يَرْفَعْ بَصَرَهُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ أَنْ يُلْتَمَعَ بَصَرُهُ " .
A man from among the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) told him that he heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: 'If any one of you in praying, let him not lift his gaze to the sky, or his eyesight will be taken away.'"
"I heard Abu Al-Ahwas saying to us in a gathering with Ibn Al-Musayyab when Ibn Al-Musayyab was sitting there, that he had heard Abu Dharr say: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Allah (SWT) continues to look upon His slave while he is praying, so long as he does not turn away. If he turns his face away, He turns away from him."
Chapter 10: Stern warning against turning around when praying - كتاب السهو
It was narrated that 'Aishah, may Allah (SWT) be pleased with her, said:
أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا زَائِدَةُ، عَنْ أَشْعَثَ بْنِ أَبِي الشَّعْثَاءِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، - رضى الله عنها - قَالَتْ سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ الاِلْتِفَاتِ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ
" اخْتِلاَسٌ يَخْتَلِسُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ " .
"I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about looking here and there during prayer. He said: 'That is something that the Shaitan snatches from one's prayer.'"
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was ill, and we prayed behind him while he was sitting, and Abu Bakr repeated his takbirs so that the people could hear them. He turned to us and saw us standing, so he gestured to us to sit down. So we prayed behind him sitting. When he said the salam he said: 'Just now you were doing what the Persians and Romans do for their kings when they are sitting. Do not do that. Follow your Imams: If they pray standing then pray standing, and if they pray sitting then pray sitting.'"