Abu Hurairah would utter the takbir in every prayer, whether obligatory or non-obligatory, He would utter the takbir when he stood, and he would utter the takbir when he bowed, then he would say: “Allah listens to him who praises Him”; he then would say before prostrating himself; “ Our Lord, to Thee be praise”; then he would say while falling in prostration: “Allah is most great”; he then would utter the takbir when he raised his head after prostration, and then utter the takbir when he prostrated, and then utter takbir the takbir when he stood up at the end of two rak’ahs after sitting down. He used to do so in every rak’ah until he finished his prayer. Then he would say at the end of the prayer: By Him in Whose hands lies my life, I am closer to the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) in respect of his prayer. Such was the prayer he used to offer until he departed from the world.
Abu Dawud said: Malik, al-Zubaidi and others have narrated so that they form the last words from al-Zuhri on the authority of ‘Ali b, Husain. And this is supported by the version reported by ‘Abd al-A’la from Ma’mar and SHu’aib b. Abi Hamzah on the authority of Al-Zuhri.
Narrated by Abu bakr b. ‘Abd al-Rahman and abu Salamah said:
Context
In this hadith, Abu Hurairah describes the meticulous manner in which he performed his prayers, emphasizing the importance of the takbir (saying 'Allah is the Greatest') at various stages of the prayer. This practice reflects a deep commitment to following the example of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in prayer. The takeaway is the significance of maintaining a structured and reverent approach to salah, as demonstrated by Abu Hurairah's dedication to the Prophet's ﷺ method.
Modern Application
In today's daily salah, individuals can adopt a similar approach by being mindful of their actions and words during prayer. This includes saying the takbir at appropriate moments, which can enhance focus and spirituality, fostering a deeper connection with Allah during the prayer.
Topics
This hadith is tagged with Prayer and Prophetic Conduct because it illustrates the specific actions and phrases that Abu Hurairah followed in his prayer, reflecting the practices of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
And when you have completed the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides. But when you become secure, re-establish [regular] prayer. Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.
Their call therein will be, "Exalted are You, O Allah," and their greeting therein will be, "Peace." And the last of their call will be, "Praise to Allah, Lord of the worlds!"
This hadith is #836 from Sunan Abu Dawud, in the Book of Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat). It is graded Da'if and narrated by Abu bakr b. ‘Abd al-Rahman and abu Salamah said:.
