First: prayer is that whose opening proclamation of Allah’s greatness renders other actions forbidden and whose closing salutation renders them lawful again. Whatever does not have this opening proclamation and closing salutation is not prayer.

Second: this is the prayer whose key is purification. Every prayer whose key is purification therefore has this opening proclamation and closing salutation. Whatever does not have this opening proclamation and closing salutation does not have purification as its key. The funeral prayer is included in this, for its key is purification, its opening proclamation of Allah’s greatness renders other actions forbidden, and its closing salutation renders them lawful again.

As for the prostrations of recitation and gratitude, no one has reported from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, or his Companions that they include a salutation, or that they would conclude them with a salutation. For this reason, Ahmad ibn Hanbal and other scholars knew of no salutation for them. According to one of the two reports from Ahmad, no salutation is given, because no transmitted report mentions it. According to the other report, one or two salutations are given. This, however, was not established by an explicit text, but by analogy. Likewise, those jurists who held that a salutation should be given had no explicit text supporting their position, only analogy or the statement of one of the Successors.

Al-Khattābī discussed the hadith narrated by Nāfi‘ from Ibn ‘Umar, who said:

“The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would recite the Quran to us. Whenever he came to a verse of prostration, he would proclaim Allah’s greatness and prostrate, and we would prostrate with him.”

Al-Khattābī said:

“This makes clear that the Sunnah is to proclaim Allah’s greatness