(1) Reported by Ahmad and Abu Dawud with a sound chain; see the documentation on p. 55. (2 & 3) This wording belongs to the hadith of Abu Humayd mentioned earlier: “Then he would straighten himself; he neither lowered his head nor raised it.” The phrase “la yuqni‘” means that he did not lift his head so that it rose above the level of his back (al-Nihaya). Al-Nasai (1/159) transmits: “When he bowed, he kept his back straight.” Al-Bukhari has: “Then he hasara his back” — with the letters ha and sad pronounced plainly — meaning that he levelled it without arching, as explained by al-Khattabi (Fath, 2/245). Muslim and others narrate from Aisha: “When he bowed he neither thrust his head forward nor lowered it, but kept it between the two.” This chain contains a defect that has already been discussed on pp. 177–178. Nasb al-Raya (1/374) states: “Abu al-Abbas Muhammad b. Ishaq al-Sarraj related in his Musnad: al-Husayn b. Ali b. Yazid told us, from his father, from Zakariyya b. Abi Zaydah, from Abu Ishaq, from al-Bara’: ‘When the Prophet ﷺ bowed, he levelled his back, and when he prostrated he directed his fingers toward the qibla.’” Al-Bayhaqi also reported it through Abu al-Abbas’ route (2/113) with the additional phrase: “and he spread his thighs.” Its isnad is sound, as confirmed in al-Diraya (no. 79).