Assalaamu alaikum,
Alhamdulillah and below is a continuation of the salaah series
from Sheickh al-Albaani's excellent text (may Allah have mercy on
him).
Next,
"he (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) would say takbeer and go down into sajdah"78, and he ordered "the one who prayed badly" to do so,
saying to him, No one's prayer is complete unless ... he says: Allaah listens
to the one who praises Him and stands up straight, then says: Allaah is the
Greatest and prostrates such that his joints are at rest.79
Also, "when he wanted to perform sajdah, he would say takbeer, [separate his
hands from his sides,] and then perform sajdah."80
Sometimes, "he would raise his hands when performing sajdah."81
"He used to place his hands on the ground before his
knees."
82
He used to instruct likewise, saying, When one of you performs sajdah, he
should not kneel like a camel, but should place his hands before his knees.83
He also used to say, Verily, the hands prostrate as the face prostrates,
so when one of you places his face (on the ground), he should place his hands,
and when he raises it, he should raise them.84
"He would support himself on his palms [and spread
them]"
85, "put his fingers together"
86, and "point them towards the qiblah."
87
Also, "he would put them (his palms) level with his shoulders"88, and sometimes "level with his ears"89. "He would put his nose and forehead firmly on the
ground."90
He said to "the one who prayed badly", When you prostrate, then be firm in
your prostration91; in one narration: When you prostrate, put your
face and hands down firmly, until all of your bones are relaxed in their proper
places.92
He also used to say, "There is no prayer for the one whose nose does not
feel as much of the ground as the forehead."93
"He used to put his knees and toes down firmly"94, "point with the front of the toes towards the
qiblah"95, "put his heels together"96, "keep his feet upright"97, and "ordered likewise."98
Hence, these are the seven limbs on which he (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam)
would prostrate: the palms, the knees, the feet, and the forehead and nose -
counting the last two as one limb in prostration, as he (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa
sallam) said: I have been ordered to prostrate (in one narration: we have
been ordered to prostrate) on seven bones: on the forehead ..., and he
indicated by moving his hand99 around his nose, the hands (in one version:
the palms), the knees and the toes, and not to tuck up100 the garments and hair.101
He also used to say, When a slave prostrates, seven limbs prostrate with
him: his face, his palms, his knees and his feet.102
He said about a man who was praying with his hair tied103 behind him, His example is surely like that of
someone who prays with his hands bound (behind his back).104 He also said, That is the saddle of the devil,
i.e. where the devil sits, referring to the knots in the hair.105
"He would not rest his fore-arms on the ground"106, but "would raise them above the ground, and keep
them away from his sides such that the whiteness of his armpits could be seen
from behind"107, and also "such that if a small lamb or kid wanted
to pass under his arms, it would have been able to do so."108
He would do this to such an extent that one of his Companions said, "We used
to feel sorry for the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam)
because of the way he kept his hands away from his sides."109
He used to order likewise, saying, When you perform sajdah, place your
palms (on the ground) and raise your elbows110, and Be level in sujood, and none of you should
spread his fore- arms like the spreading of a dog (in one narration: like
a dog spreads them)111. In a separate hadeeth, None of you should rest
arms on the ground the way a dog rests them.112
He also used to say, Do not spread your arms [the way a beast of prey
does], rest on your palms and keep your upper arms apart, for when you do all
that, every one of your limbs prostrates with you.113
He (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) used to command the
completion of rukoo' and sujood, comparing someone not doing so to the hungry
man who eats one or two dates, which are of no use to him, and also saying about
him,
he is indeed one of the worst thieves among the people.
He also ruled that the prayer of one who does not straighten his spine fully
in rukoo' and sujood is invalid, as has been mentioned under "Rukoo'", and
ordered "the one who prayed badly" to be at ease in his sujood, as mentioned
before.
He (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) would say any one of
the following remembrances of Allaah and supplications in this posture:
Subhaana Rabiyal a'laa
How Perfect is my Lord, the Most High,
three times.114
Sometimes, "he would repeat it more times than
that."115
Once, he repeated it so much that his sujood
were nearly as long as his standing, in which he had recited three of the Long
Soorahs: al-Baqarah, an-Nisaa' and aal-'Imraan. That prayer was full of
supplication and seeking of forgiveness, as mentioned before under "Night
Prayer".
Subhaana Rabiyal a'laa wa bihamdihi
How Perfect is my Lord, the
Most High, and Praised be He, three times.116
Subbuhun
Quddusun Rabbul Mala ikatu wa Ruh
Perfect, Blessed, Lord of the
Angels and the Spirit.117
Subhaanaka
Allahumma Rabbana wa bihamdika Allahummaghfirli
How perfect You
are O Allaah, our Lord, and Praised. O Allaah! Forgive me, which he would
say often in his rukoo' and sujood, implementing the order of the Qur'aan.118
Allahumma
laka sajadtu wa bika aamantu wa laka aslamtu wa anta rabbi sajada wajhee
lilladhee khalaqahu wasawwarahu fa ahsana suwarahu wa shaqqa sam'ahu awa
basarahu. Fa tabarakallahu ahsanul khaliqeen.
O Allaah! For you I
have prostrated; in You I have believed; to You I have submitted; [You are my
Lord;] my face has prostrated for the One Who created it and shaped it ,
[shaped it excellently,] then brought forth its hearing and vision: [so]
blessed be Allaah, the Best to Create!119
Allahummaghfirli dhanbi, kullahu wadiqahu wa jillahu wa awwallahu wa
aakhirahu wa alaniyatahu wa sirrah
O Allaah! Forgive me all my
sins: the minor and the major, the first and the last, the open and the
hidden.120
Sajada
laka sawaadi wa khayali wa aamana bika fu aadi abu' bine'matika alaya. Hadha
yadayya wa ma janaytu ala nafsee.
My person and my shadow have
prostrated to You; my heart has believed in You; I acknowledge Your favours
towards me: here are my hands and whatever I have earned against myself.121
Subhana
dhil jabaruti wal malakuti wal kibriya 'i wal adhamah
How Perfect
is He Who has all Power, Kingdom, Magnificence and Supremity122, which he would say in night prayer, as with the
following ones:
Subhaanaka
Allahumma wa bihamdika La ilaha illa ant.
How perfect You are [O
Allaah] and Praised. None has the right to be worshipped except you.123
Allahummaghfirli ma asrartu wa ma a'lantu
O Allaah!
Forgive me what (sins) I have concealed and what (sins) I have done
openly.124
Allahummaj al
fee qalbee nuura wa fee lisaani nuura waj al fee sam'ee nuura wa fee basaree
nuura waj al mintahtee nuura waj al minfawqee nuura wa an yameeni nuura wa an
yasaaree nuura waj al amaami nuura waj al khalfi nuura waj al fee nafsi nuura
wa'dham lee nuura.
O Allaah! Place light in my heart; [and light in my
tongue;] and place light in my hearing; and place light in my seeing; and
place light from below me; and place light from above me, and light on my
right, and light on my left; and place light ahead of me; and place light
behind me; [and place light in my self;] and make the light greater for
me.125
Allahumma innee
a'uthubika bi ridhaaka min sakhatika wa a'uthu bi mu' aafatika min uqubatika
wa a'uthubika minka. Uhsee thana a alaika, anta kama athnayta ala
nafsika
[O Allaah!] [Indeed] I seek refuge with Your Pleasure from Your
Anger; [I seek refuge] with Your Pardons from Your Punishment; I seek refuge
with You from You. I cannot count all exultations upon You; You are as You
have extolled Yourself.126