his careful adherence to the sunnah, would raise his hands with every proclamation of Allah’s greatness (1).

When he (peace and blessings be upon him) had completed these proclamations, he would begin reciting. He would recite the Opening of the Book, followed in one rakʿah by “Qāf. By the glorious Quran,” and in the other by “The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has split” (2). Sometimes he would recite “Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High” and “Has there come to you the account of the Overwhelming?” in the two rakʿahs (3). Both practices are authentically established from him; nothing else is authentically established.

When he finished reciting, he would proclaim Allah’s greatness and bow. Then, after completing the rakʿah and rising from prostration, he would proclaim Allah’s greatness five times in succession. Once he had completed these proclamations, he would begin reciting. Thus, in both rakʿahs, he would begin with the proclamations of Allah’s greatness, with the recitation immediately preceding the bowing (4).

It has also been reported that he (peace and blessings be upon him) placed the two recitations in succession: he first proclaimed Allah’s greatness, then recited and bowed. Upon standing for the second rakʿah, he recited, placing the proclamations of Allah’s greatness after the recitation. However, this is not reliably established from him, for it is narrated through Muhammad ibn Muʿāwiya al-Naysābūrī. Al-Bayhaqī said (5): “More than one person accused him of lying.”