the heels. And he used to forbid men stretching out their limbs when sitting down as wild animals stretch their limbs; and he used to complete his prayer with the salutation.'—Muslim.
It is related from Saʿíd binuʾl-Ḥárith binuʾl-Muʿalli that he said, ʿAbu Saʿíduʾl-Khudri prayed (that is, acted as leader) for us and said, "God is great," when he raised his head from the prostrations, and when he prostrated himself, and when he raised himself from bowing down, and he said, "Thus I saw the Prophet do."'—Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Abú Hurairah that he said, 'The Apostle of God prayed the midday prayer with us, and in the back part of the rows (of worshippers) there was a man who said his prayer badly. When, therefore, he had said the salutation, the Apostle of God called him and said, "O so-and-so, dost thou not fear God, and dost thou not observe how thou prayest? Do ye imagine that anything of what ye do is hidden from me? By God! I certainly see behind me as I see before me."—Aḥmad.
On What should be Repeated after the Words,
'God is Great'
It is related from Abú Hurairah that he said, 'The Apostle of God used to remain silent between the repetition of the words "God is great" and the recital (of a portion of the Qurʾán). Therefore I said, "May my father and mother be sacrificed for thee, O Apostle of God, what sayest thou when silent between the repetition of the words 'God is great' and the recital?" He replied, "I say, 'O God, place a distance between me and my sins as Thou hast placed a distance between East and West. O God, cleanse me from my sins as a white garment is cleansed from impurities. O God, wash away my sins with water and snow and hail.'"'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from ʿAlí that he said, 'When the Prophet stood up to prayer—or, according to another tradition, 'When he opened his prayer'—he said, "God is great." Then he said, "I turn my face as a Hanif to Him who created the heavens and the earth; and I am not a polytheist. Verily, my prayers and my worship and my life and my death are for God, the Lord of the worlds. He has no partner, and to that was I
