said, ‘Allah hears whoever praises Him,’ he would remain standing until we would say (1), ‘He has forgotten.’ Then he would prostrate and sit between the two prostrations until we would say, ‘He has forgotten.’”

It is also authentically reported that, during the eclipse prayer, he prolonged this posture after bowing until it was nearly as long as his bowing, while his bowing was nearly as long as his standing (2).

This, then, is his established practice, which nothing contradicts in any way.

As for the hadith of al-Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib, “The Messenger of Allah’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) bowing, prostration, sitting between the two prostrations, and standing after raising his head from bowing were approximately equal in duration, apart from his standing and sitting,” related by al-Bukhārī (3), those who supposed these two postures were brief have seized upon it. Yet it provides no support for their view, for the hadith explicitly states that these two postures were equal in duration to the other postures. If the standing and sitting excepted here meant standing after bowing and sitting between the two prostrations, the hadith would contradict itself. Thus, the standing and sitting must unquestionably refer to standing for recitation and sitting for the testimony of faith. His practice (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was to make these two longer than the other postures, as explained earlier. This, praise be to Allah, is clear. It is an aspect of the Messenger of Allah’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) practice in prayer that remained unknown to those whom Allah willed should remain unaware of it (4).