The Rukoo’ (Bowing)

After completing his recitation, he (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) would pause for a moment²¹, then raise his hands²² in the way described earlier under the “Opening Takbeer”, say takbeer²³, and make rukoo’.²⁴He also ordered “the one who prayed badly” likewise, saying to him, Indeed, the prayer of one of you is not complete until he makes an excellent ablution as Allaah has commanded him to … then he celebrates Allaah’s greatness, praises and glorifies Him, then recites the Qur’aan as much as is easy for him from what Allaah has taught him and allowed him, then says takbeer and makes rukoo’ [and places his hands on his knees] until his joints are at ease and relaxed²⁵

The Rukoo’ Described

“He (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) would place his palms on his knees”²⁶, and “would order them to do likewise”²⁷, as he ordered “the one who prayed badly” in the afore-mentioned hadeeth.”He would put his hands firmly on his knees [as though he were grasping them]”²⁸, and “would space his fingers out”²⁹, ordering “the one who prayed badly” likewise, saying: When you make rukoo’, place your palms on your knees, then space your fingers out, then remain (like that) until every limb takes its (proper) place.³⁰

“He used to spread himself (i.e., not be in a compact position), and keep his elbows away from his sides.”³¹

“When he made rukoo’, he would spread his back and make it level”³², “such that if water were poured on it, it (the water) would stay there (i.e., not run off).”³³ He also said to “the one who prayed badly”, When you make rukoo’, put your palms on your knees, spread your back (flat) and hold firm in your rukoo’.³⁴

“He would neither let his head droop nor raise it (i.e. higher than his back)”³⁵, but it would be in between.³⁶

The Obligation Of Being At Ease In Rukoo’

He used to be at ease in his rukoo’, and ordered “the one who prayed badly” to be so, as has been mentioned in the first section on rukoo’.He used to say, Complete the rukoo’ and sujood, for by Him in whose Hand is my soul, I surely see you behind my back³⁷ when you make rukoo’ and sujood.³⁸

“He saw a man praying not completing his rukoo’ properly, and pecking in his sujood, so he said, Were this man to die in this state, he would die on a faith other than that of Muhammad, [pecking in his prayer as a crow pecks at blood; he who does not make rukoo’ completely and pecks in his sujood is like the hungry person who eats one or two dates, which are of no use to him at all.³⁹

Abu Hurairah (radi Allaahu ‘anhu) said, “My close friend (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) forbade me from pecking in my prayer like a cockerel, from looking around like a fox, and from squatting like a monkey.”⁴⁰

The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) also used to say, The worst thief among men is the one who steals from his prayer. They said, “O Messenger of Allaah, how does he steal from his prayer?” He said, He does not complete its rukoo’ and sujood.⁴¹

Once, “he was praying, when he glanced out of the corner of his eye at a man not settling his backbone in rukoo’ and sujood. When he finished, he said, O assembly of Muslims! Verily, the prayer is not valid of the one who does not settle his spine in rukoo’ and sujood.“⁴²

He said in another hadeeth, The prayer of a man does not count unless he straightens his back in rukoo’ and sujood.⁴³

The Adhkaar Of Rukoo’

He would say different types of remembrance of Allaah and supplication, any one of the following at a time:

1. 
   How Perfect is my Lord, the Supreme!, three times.⁴⁴ But sometimes, he would repeat it more than that.⁴⁵ Once, in night prayer, he repeated it so much that his rukoo’ became nearly as long as his standing before it, in which he had recited three of the Long Soorahs: Baqarah, Nisaa’ and aal- ‘Imraan. This prayer was full of supplication & seeking forgiveness, and the hadeeth has already been mentioned under “Recitation in Night Prayer.”
2. 
   How Perfect is my Lord, the Supreme, and Praised be He, three times.⁴⁶
3. 
   Perfect, Blessed,⁴⁷ Lord of the Angels and the Spirit.⁴⁸
4. 
   How Perfect You are O Allaah, and Praises are for You. O Allaah, forgive me. He would say it often in his rukoo’ and sujood, implementing (the order of) the Qur’aan.⁴⁹
5. 
   O Allaah! To You I have bowed; in You I have believed; to You I have submitted; [You are my Lord]; humbled for You are my hearing, my seeing, my marrow, my bone (in one narration: my bones), my sinews, [and whatever my feet carry⁵⁰ (are humbled) for Allaah, Lord of the Worlds].⁵¹
6. 
   O Allaah! to You I have bowed; in You I have believed; to You I have submitted; in You I have placed my trust; You are my Lord; my hearing, my seeing, my blood, my flesh, my bones, and my sinews are humbled for Allaah, Lord of the Worlds.⁵²
7. 
   How Perfect is He Who has all Power, Kingdom, Magnificence and Supremity, which he used to say in night prayer.

Lengthening The Rukoo’

“He (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) used to make his rukoo’, his standing after rukoo’, his sujood, and his sitting in between the two sajdahs, nearly equal in length.”⁵³

Forbiddance Of Reciting The Qur’aan In Rukoo’

“He used to forbid recitation of the Qur’aan in rukoo’ and sujood.”⁵⁴ Further, he used to say, Verily, I have indeed been forbidden from reciting the Qur’aan in rukoo’ or sujood. In the rukoo’, therefore, glorify the Supremity of the Lord, Mighty and Sublime, in it; as for the sujood, exert yourselves in supplication in it, for it is most likely that you will be answered.⁵⁵

Straightening Up From The Rukoo’, & What Is To Be Said Then

Next, “he (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) would straighten up his back out of rukoo’, saying, (Allaah listens to the one who praises Him).⁵⁶

He also ordered “the one who prayed badly” to do that, when he said to him: No person’s prayer is complete until … he has said takbeer … then made rukoo’ … then has said “Allaah listens to the one who praises Him” until he is standing straight.”⁵⁷ When he raised his head, he would stand straight until every vertebra returned to its place.⁵⁸

Next, “he would say while standing:

(Our Lord, [and] to You be all Praise).⁵⁹

He has commanded all worshippers, whether behind an imaam or not, to do the above on rising from rukoo’, by saying Pray as you have seen me praying.⁶⁰

He also used to say, The imaam is there to be followed … when he has said ‘Allaah listens to the one who praises Him’ then say, ‘[O Allaah!] Our Lord, and to You be all Praise’; Allaah will listen to you, for indeed, Allaah, Blessed and Exalted, has said via the tongue of His Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam): Allaah listens to the one who praises Him.’⁶¹

He also gave a reason for this command in another hadeeth, saying: for he whose saying coincides with that of the angels will have his past sins forgiven.⁶²

He used to raise his hands when straightening up⁶³, in the ways described under the Opening Takbeer.

While standing, he would say, as previously-mentioned,

1. 
   Our Lord, and to You be all Praise⁶⁴; or
2. 
   Our Lord, to You be all Praise.⁶⁵Sometimes, he would add at the beginning of either of these:
3. 
   O Allaah! …⁶⁶He used to order others to do this, saying, “When the imaam says: Allaah listens to the one who praises Him, then say: O Allaah! Our Lord, to You be all Praise, for he whose saying coincides with that of the angels will have his past sins forgiven.”⁶⁷Sometimes, he would add either:
4. 
   … Filling the heavens, filling the earth, and filling whatever else You wish⁶⁸, or
5. 
   … Filling the heavens, [filling] the earth, whatever is between them, and filling whatever else You wish.⁶⁹Sometimes, he would add even further:
6. 
   Lord of Glory & Majesty! None can withhold what You grant, and none can grant what You withhold; nor can the possessions of an owner benefit him in front of You.⁷⁰Or, sometimes, the addition would be:
7. 
   Filling the heavens, filling the earth, and filling whatever else You wish. Lord of Glory and Majesty! - The truest thing a slave has said, and we are all slaves to You. [O Allaah!] None can withhold what You grant, [and none can grant what You withhold,] nor can the possessions of an owner benefit him in front of You.⁷¹Sometimes, he would say the following during night prayer:
8. 
   To my Lord be all Praise, to my Lord be all Praise, repeating it until his standing was about as long as his rukoo’, which had been nearly as long as his first standing, in which he had recited soorah al-Baqarah.⁷²
9. 
   Our Lord, and to You be all Praise, so much pure praise, inherently blessed, [externally blessed, as our Lord loves and is pleased with].⁷³A man praying behind him (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said this after he (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) had raised his head from rukoo’ and said: Allaah listens to the one who praises Him. When the Messenger of Allaah had finished his prayer, he said, Who was the one speaking just now? The man said, “It was I, O Messenger of Allaah.” So the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, I saw over thirty angels hurrying to be the first one to write it down.⁷⁴

Lengthening This Standing, & The Obligation To Beat Ease In It

He (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) used to make this standing about as long as his rukoo’, as has been mentioned; in fact, “he would stand (for so long) sometimes that one would say, ‘He has forgotten’, [because of his standing for so long.]”⁷⁵He used to instruct them to be at ease in it; hence, he said to “the one who prayed badly”, … Next, raise your head until you are standing straight [and every bone has taken its proper place] - in another narration, When you rise, make your spine upright and raise your head, until the bones return to their joints.⁷⁶

He also reminded him: that no-one’s prayer is complete unless he does that, and used to say: Allaah, Mighty and Sublime, does not look at the prayer of the slave who does not make his backbone upright in between his bowings and prostrations.⁷⁷