After that he would recite another surah—at times long, at times short, and at times of moderate length—and he lengthened the recitation of the dawn prayer more than that of all the other prayers. He recited aloud in Fajr and in the first two rakʿahs of both Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ, while reciting silently in the remainder, and he always made the first rakʿah of every prayer longer than the second.

Next he raised his hands as he had done at the opening, said, “Allāhu akbar,” and bowed. He placed his hands on his knees with the fingers spread apart, gripping them firmly, straightened his back, and kept his head level with it—neither raising it nor lowering it—while saying: “Subḥāna rabbī al-ʿaẓīm” (Glory be to my Lord, the Almighty).

He then lifted his head, saying, “Samiʿa Allāhu liman ḥamidah” (Allah hears those who praise Him), raising his hands as he had done for the bowing.
When he was fully upright he said, “Rabbanā laka al-ḥamd” (Our Lord, to You belongs all praise), and he would prolong this standing.

He would then say “Allāhu akbar” and go down into prostration without raising his hands. He prostrated on his forehead and nose, his hands, his knees, and the tips of his feet, turning the fingers of both his hands and his feet toward the qiblah. He kept his prostration balanced, pressing his forehead and nose firmly to the ground, supporting himself on his palms, lifting his elbows, distancing his upper arms from his sides, raising his abdomen away from his thighs and his thighs from his shins. In his prostration he would say: “Subḥāna rabbī al-aʿlā” (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High).

Then he raised his head, saying “Allāhu akbar,” spread his left foot and sat upon it, kept the right foot upright, and placed his hands on his thighs. He would then supplicate: “Allāhumma ighfir lī, warḥamnī, wajburnī, wahdinī, warzuqnī” (O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, mend my affairs, guide me, and provide for me).