Abdullah bin Mubarak عبد الله بن المبارك · The Book of Forgetfulness (In Prayer)

"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.'

"Mu'aiqib told me that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'If you have to do that, then do it only once.'"

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."

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "The Tasbih is for men, and clapping is for women." Ibn Al-Muthanna added: "During the prayer."

"I had two times when I would enter upon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), one at night and one during the day. When I entered at night he would clear his throat (to tell me to come in)."

"If one of you is not sure about his prayer, let him estimate what he thinks is most likely to be correct and complete the prayer on that basis, then let him prostrate twice."

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed and did more or less (rak'ahs). When he had said the salam we said: 'O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), has there been some change concerning the prayer?' He said: 'Why are you asking?' So we told him what he had done. He turned back toward the Qiblah and prostrated two prostrations of forgetfulness, then he turned to face us and said: 'If there had been some change concerning the prayer I would have told…

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed Zuhr then he turned to face them and they said: 'Has there been some change concerning the prayer?' He said: 'Why are you asking?' They told him what he had done, so he turned back toward the Qiblah and prostrated twice. Then he said the salam and turned to face them and said: 'I am only human, I forget as you forget, so if I forget, then remind me.' And he said: 'If there…

"Whoever us not sure about his prayer, then let him estimate what is correct, then let him prostrate twice after he finished his prayer, while he is sitting."

"Whoever has doubt, or is not sure, let him estimate what is correct, then let him prostrate twice."

The Prophet (ﷺ) led them in praying Zuhr with five (rak'ahs). They said: 'You prayed five.' So he prostrated twice after he had said the taslim, while he was sitting.

"Alqamah prayed five (rak'ahs) and was told about that. He said: 'Did I really do that?' I nodded yes. He said: 'What about you, O odd-eyed one?' I said: 'Yes'. So he prostrated twice, then he narrated to us from 'Abdullah that the Prophet (ﷺ) prayed five (rak'ahs), and the people whispered to one another, then they said to him: 'Has something been added the prayer?' He said: 'No.' So they told him, and he turned around and prostrated twice,…

"I heard Ash-Sha'bi say: 'Alqamah bin Qais forgot (and made a mistake) in his prayer, and they told him about that after he had spoken, He said: 'Is that true, O odd-eyed one?' He said: 'Yes.' So he undid his cloak, then he performed two prostrations of forgtfulness,and said: 'This is what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did.' He said: And I heard Al-Hakam say: 'Alqamah had prayed five.'"

"I prayed beside Ibn Umar and I turned over the pebbles. Ibn Umar said to me: 'Do not turn over the pebbles, for turning over the pebbles comes from Shaitan. Do what I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) do.' I said: 'What did you see the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) do?' He said; 'This'- and he held his right foot upright and lay his left foot on the ground, and placed his right hand on his right thigh and…

"We said: 'O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), we know about sending salams upon you, but how should we send salah upon you?' He said: "Say: 'Alahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama sallaita 'ala Ibrahima wa barik 'ala Muhammad kama barakta 'ala ali Ibrahim fil-'alamin, innaka hamidun majid (O Allah, send salah upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent salah upon the family of Ibrahim, and send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family…

"We said: 'O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), we know how to send salams upon you, but how should we send salah upon you?' He said: 'Say: "Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammadin 'abdika wa rasulika kama salaita 'ala Ibrahim wa barik 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala ali Muhammadin kama barakta 'ala Ibrahim (O Allah, send salah upon Muhammad, Your slave and Messenger , as You sent Salah upon Ibrahim, and send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as You sent…

He saw a man praying (And his bowing and prostration) were lacking. Hudhaifah said to him: 'For how long have you been praying like this?' He said: "For forty years.' He said: 'You have not been praying for forty years and if you die praying like this, you will have died following a path other than the path of Muhammad (ﷺ). Then he said: 'It is possible for a man to pray briefly, but still do it properly."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say salam to his right:As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah) , until the whiteness of his right cheek could be seen, and to his left: As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah) until the whiteness of his left cheek could be seen.

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray eleven rak'ahs, making it odd (witr) by one between the time when he finished 'Isha and dawn, and he would prostrate for as long as it takes one of you to recite fifty verses before raising his head."