and Ibn Masʿūd—may Allah be pleased with him—was one of those who served the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. He was the keeper of the Prophet’s siwāk, cleaning it for him; the keeper of his cushion; and the keeper of his sandals.

He would therefore enter the Prophet’s house and pray beside him. One night he did so, and as soon as the prayer began the Prophet prolonged the standing. Ibn Masʿūd later said, “I was on the verge of doing something improper.” They asked him, “What was that, O Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān?” He replied, “I almost sat down and left him.” He was still a young man while the Messenger of Allah—older than he—remained standing so long that even youth found it hard to keep up.

Yet Allah had already forgiven the Prophet his former and later sins; still he prayed, peace and blessings be upon him, in gratitude to Allah, as he said: “Should I not love to be a thankful servant?”

On another occasion Ḥudhayfah ibn al-Yamān—may Allah be pleased with him—prayed with him. The Prophet began with Sūrat al-Baqarah. I thought, “He will bow at the hundredth verse,” but he kept going. I thought, “He will bow when he finishes the sūrah,” but he completed it and then started Sūrat al-Nisāʾ, which he also finished. He then began Sūrat Āl ʿImrān and completed it as well, reciting deliberately, in measured tones. Those three chapters amount to five and a quarter juzʾ of the Quran.

Recited with tartīl, how long must that have taken! All the while the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, stood; he would not pass a verse of mercy without requesting it, a verse of glorification without declaring His praise, or a verse of warning without seeking refuge. Thus he combined recitation, remembrance, and supplication, despite the extraordinary length. Then he bowed. And how was his bowing? It was nearly as long as his standing. He prolonged the bowing, then rose saying, “Allah hears the one who praises Him…”