“…No one’s prayer is complete until … he pronounces the takbīr (‘Allāhu Akbar’), then bows, then says: Samiʿa Allāhu liman ḥamidah (‘Allah hears the one who praises Him’), and he remains so until he is standing upright.” (1)
Whenever he lifted his head he would stand straight, until every vertebra returned to its proper place (2).
Then, while standing, “he used to say: Rabbana [wa] laka al-ḥamd (‘Our Lord, and to You belongs all praise’).” (3)
He commanded every worshipper—whether following an imam or praying alone—to do the same, saying: “Pray as you have seen me pray.” (4)
He also said: “The imam has only been appointed so that he may be followed … so when he says, Samiʿa Allāhu liman ḥamidah, you should say: [Allāhumma] rabbana wa laka al-ḥamd (‘[O Allah,] our Lord, and to You belongs all praise’).” (5) — with an additional wording in another narration: —
The foundational legal principles are already well established—
(1) Reported by Abu Dawud and by al-Hakim, who declared it authentic; al-Dhahabi agreed. See also pp. 189–190.
(2) Reported by al-Bukhari and Abu Dawud; see Sahih Abi Dawud, no. 172. The word al-faqar (the spinal vertebrae) is, according to al-Qamus, the sequence of bones running from the base of the neck to the tailbone. See Fath al-Bari, 2/308.
(3) See footnote no. 1 on p. 683.
(4) This hadith has been cited earlier in several places, including p. 14.
(5) This narration comes from Abu Hurayra; it appeared near the beginning of the book under “Praying Seated” (p. 87). Muslim records it (2/19–20) through multiple chains from him. It is also transmitted from Anas and from Aisha in the two Sahihs, where its documentation has already been provided. A further corroboration is found in the report of Abu Musa al-Ashari, mentioned under “The Amin.”