He often prostrated on the ground, and also on water and mud, on a small mat made from palm leaves, on a larger mat made from the same material, and on a tanned pelt.

When he prostrated, he placed his forehead and nose firmly on the ground and held his arms away from his sides, spreading them so that the whiteness of his armpits could be seen. Had a lamb—a young sheep—wished to pass beneath his arms, it could have done so (1).

He placed his hands level with his shoulders and ears. In Sahīh Muslim (2), al-Barā’ reported that he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “When you prostrate, place your palms on the ground and raise your elbows.”

He maintained a balanced posture in prostration and pointed the tips of his toes towards the qibla (3).

He laid his palms and fingers flat, neither spreading his fingers apart nor curling them inward (4). In Sahīh Ibn Hibbān (5), it is reported: “When he bowed, he spread his fingers apart, and when he prostrated, he kept them together.”

He would say: “Glory be to my Lord, the Most High,” and instructed others to say it (6).