English Translation

Yahya ibn Sa'id told us, Ibn Ajlan told us, Ali ibn Yahya ibn Khallad told us, from his father, from his uncle - who had witnessed Badr - who said: We were with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in the mosque, when a man entered and prayed in a corner of the mosque. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, kept watching him closely. Then he came and greeted him with salam, and he returned the greeting and said, "Go back and pray, for you have not prayed." He said this twice or three times. Then he said to him, the third or fourth time, "By the One who sent you with the truth, I have exerted my utmost effort - so teach me and show me." So the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him, "When you wish to pray, perform ablution and perform it well, then face the qiblah, then say the takbir, then recite, then bow until you are at rest bowing, then rise until you are standing at rest, then prostrate until you are at rest prostrating, then rise until you are sitting at rest, then prostrate until you are at rest prostrating, then stand up. If you complete your prayer in this manner, you have completed it, and whatever you diminish from this, you diminish from your prayer."