He would then instruct those praying behind him to say “Āmīn” immediately after the imam’s own pronunciation. He said, “When the imam says: ‘…not of those who have incurred wrath, nor of those who are astray,’ then say Āmīn; for the angels say Āmīn and the imam says Āmīn as well. (In another wording: ‘When the imam says Āmīn, then say Āmīn.’) Whoever’s Āmīn coincides with the Āmīn of the angels—(another wording states: ‘When one of you says Āmīn in prayer while the angels in heaven are saying Āmīn, and the two coincide’)—all his past sins will be forgiven.” In another hadith he said, “Say Āmīn and Allah will answer you.” He also said, “The Jews have never envied you for anything as much as they envy you for the greeting of peace and for saying Āmīn [behind the imam].” (p. 373–390)

His ﷺ Recitation after Sūrat al-Fātiḥah

After Sūrat al-Fātiḥah he would recite another surah. Sometimes he lengthened that recitation, and at other times he shortened it because of travel, coughing, illness, or the crying of a child whose mother was praying with him. Anas ibn Mālik reported: “One day the Messenger of Allah shortened the dawn prayer—in another narration: he led the morning prayer and recited the two shortest surahs in the Qur’an. The people asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, why did you shorten it?’ He replied, ‘I heard a child crying and thought his mother was praying with us, so I wished to release her for him.’” He also said, “I enter the prayer intending to prolong it, but when I hear a child crying I abbreviate my prayer, knowing how distressed his mother is by his crying.”

He would usually begin at the start of a surah and complete it, saying, “Give every surah its due share of bowing and prostration”—in another wording, “a rakʿah for every surah.” At times he divided a surah between two rakʿahs, and at other times he repeated it in the second rakʿah. On occasion he combined two or more surahs in a single rakʿah.

A man from the Anṣār used to lead his people in prayer in the mosque of Qubā’. Whenever he began a surah for them he would first recite, “Say: He is Allah, the One,” until he completed it, and then recite another surah with it; he did that in every rakʿah. His companions spoke to him, saying, “You begin with this surah and do not deem it sufficient until you add another. Either recite it alone, or leave it and recite something else.” He replied, “I will not leave it. If you wish me to lead you in that way, I shall; and if you dislike it, I will step aside.” They considered him the best among them and were reluctant to have anyone else lead. When the Prophet ﷺ came to them they told him what had happened, and he said, “O …"