Hadith: Abu Humayd As-Sā‘idi, while he was sitting with ten of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) including Abu Qatādah, said: I am the most knowledgeable among you about the Prophet's prayer

عن محمد بن عمرو بن عطاء، قال: سمعت أبا حميد الساعدي، في عشرة من أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم منهم أبو قتادة، قال أبو حميد: أنا أَعلمُكم بصلاة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، قالوا: فَلِمَ؟ فوالله ما كنتَ بأكثرنا له تبعا ولا أقدمنا له صحبة، قال: بلى، قالوا: فاعْرِض، قال: " كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا قام إلى الصلاة يرفع يديه حتى يُحَاذِيَ بهما مَنْكِبَيْهِ ، ثم يُكبِّر حتى يَقِرَّ كل عظم في موضعه معتدلا، ثم يقرأ، ثم يكبِّر فيرفع يديه حتى يُحاذي بهما مَنْكبيه، ثم يركع ويضع رَاحَتَيْهِ على رُكبتيه، ثم يعتدل فلا يَصُبُّ رأسه ولا يُقْنِعُ ، ثم يرفع رأسه، فيقول: سمع الله لمن حمده، ثم يرفع يديه حتى يُحاذي بهما منكبيه معتدلا، ثم يقول: الله أكبر ثم يهوي إلى الأرض فيُجافي يديه عن جنبيه، ثم يرفع رأسه ويَثْني رجله اليسرى فيقعد عليها، ويفتح أصابع رجليه إذا سجد، ويسجد ثم يقول: الله أكبر، ويرفع رأسه ويَثْني رجله اليسرى فيقعد عليها حتى يرجع كل عظم إلى موضعه، ثم يصنع في الأخرى مثل ذلك، ثم إذا قام من الركعتين كبر ورفع يديه حتى يحاذي بهما منكبيه كما كبر عند افتتاح الصلاة، ثم يصنع ذلك في بقية صلاته حتى إذا كانت السجدة التي فيها التسليم أخر رجله اليسرى وقعد مُتَوَرِّكًا على شقه الأيسر، قالوا: صدقت هكذا كان يصلي صلى الله عليه وسلم .
[صحيح] - [رواه أبو داود واللفظ له وأصله في البخاري]

Muhammad ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Atā reported: While Abu Humayd As-Sā‘idi was sitting among ten of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) including Abu Qatādah, he said: "I am the most knowledgeable among you about the (manner of the) prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)." They said: "Why? By Allah, you did not follow him more than we did, nor did you accompany him before us." He said: "Indeed, I am." They said: "Then show us." He said: "When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stood up for prayer, he would raise his hands parallel to his shoulders, say Takbīr, and then wait until every bone of his body would settle properly in its place. Then he would recite (the Qur’an), then he would raise his hands parallel to his shoulders and say Takbīr, and then bow, placing his palms on his knees. Then he would stand up straight, and he would neither lower his head nor raise it much. Then he would say: ‘Allah hears those who praise Him'; and he would then raise his hands to the level of his shoulders while standing straight. Then he would say Takbīr and prostrate himself on the ground, keeping his arms away from his sides. Then he would raise his head and tuck his left foot and sit on it, and he would spread out his toes while prostrating. Then he would prostrate, then say Takbīr, raise his head, tuck his left foot, and sit on it until every bone returned to its place. Then he would stand up and do the same in the next Rak‘ah. Then, when he stood up after two Rak‘ahs, he would raise his hands up to the level of his shoulders as he did at the beginning of the prayer. Then he would offer the rest of his prayer in the same manner, and when he came to the prostration that is followed by Taslīm, he would draw his left foot backward and sit, placing his left posterior on the ground." They said: "You have spoken the truth; this is how the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform the prayer."
[Authentic hadith] - [Narrated by Abu Daoud]

Explanation

This noble Hadīth explains the manner in which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform the prayer, and indeed it is the most perfect manner that should be followed by whoever intends to perform it. The Hadīth mentions a set of the acts related to prayer, including the prayer's pillars and obligatory and recommended acts, starting from Takbīr and ending with Taslīm, as follows: When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stood up for prayer, he would raise his hands up to the level of his shoulders, then say Takbīr and wait in submissive devotion until every bone returned to its normal place. Then he would recite the Qur’an, then make Takbīr, raising his hands parallel with his shoulders. Then he would bow, placing his palms on his knees. Then he would stand straight, without raising up his head nor lowering it much; rather he kept it in a mild position. Thereafter, he would raise his head and say: "Allah hears those who praise him", raising his hands up to the level of his shoulders while standing straight. He would then say "Allah is the Greatest" and fall down in prostration, distancing his hands from his sides. Then he would raise his head, tuck his left foot, and sit on it. he used to spread out his toes when he prostrated. He would then prostrate once more and say "Allah is the Greatest" and then raise his head. After that, he would tuck his left foot again and sit on it and wait until every bone returned to its normal place. he would do the same in the second Rak‘ah. When he stood up after finishing the second Rak‘ah, he would say "Allah is the Greatest" and raise his hands up to the level of his shoulders, just as he did at the beginning of the prayer. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would do the same throughout his prayer, until he came to the prostration that would be followed by Taslīm, wherein he would lay aside his left leg and sit with his left posterior placed on the ground (Tawarruk). The statement "the prostration that would be followed by Taslīm" is mentioned as such in the wording of this narration of the Hadīth; but Hadīth commentators have explained that what is meant here is the final sitting that precedes the Taslīm.