Three Things People have abandoned in Prayer

حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ سَمْعَانَ قَالَ جَاءَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ إِلَى مَسْجِدِ بَنِى زُرَيْقٍ فَقَالَ ثَلاَثٌ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- يَعْمَلُ بِهِنَّ تَرَكَهُنَّ النَّاسُ كَانَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ فِى الصَّلاَةِ مَدًّا وَيَسْكُتُ هُنَيْهَةً وَيُكَبِّرُ إِذَا سَجَدَ وَإِذَا رَفَعَ.

Sa’eed Bin Sam’an said: “Abu Hurayrah (radi Allahu anu) came to the Masjid of Banu Zuraiq and said: “There are three things that Messenger of Allah (sallahu alayhi wa salim) used to do and the people have abandoned; he used to raise his hands extended when praying, and he would fall silent briefly, and say Allahu Akbar when he prostrated and he sat up.”

Collected by An-Nisa’I (884) Shaykh Muhammad Adam Al-Ethiopi graded this hadeeth as being Saheeh

Benefits for this Topic:

·  “ There are three things that Messenger of Allah (sallahu alayhi wa salim) used to do and the people have abandoned…” This refers to the actions the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa salim) used to do, and people have stopped doing them. They have either quit doing these actions due to ignorance or the belief that not practicing them doesn’t harm the prayer.

·  As-Sindi said, “This hadeeth proves that some people abandoned actions of Sunnah during the era of the companions (may Allah be pleased with them all).

·  “ To raise his hands extended when praying,…” This refers to raising the hands to the shoulders or the ears, not above the head as some people misconstrue.

·  “ He would fall silent briefly…” this refers to the silence between Takbirul Ihram and the recitation of Fatihah. Between those two acts it’s Sunnah to read one of the opening supplications.

·  “Say Allahu Akbar when he prostrated and he sat up…” This hadeeth proves it’s legislated to say Allahu Akbar with every bowing and rising, except when rising up from Ruku. In this act when a person raises he says, “ Sami Allahu lee man Hamadah, Rabbana wa Lakal Hamd”

·  This hadeeth proves that the companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) used to have a strong zeal for explaining and conveying the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa salim) to the people. Abu Hurayrah lead the people in prayer and told them that their prayer didn’t resemble the Prophet’s (sallahu alayhi wa salim) when they abandoned those Sunnat actions ignorantly. Hence he informed them of those actions and taught them.

Tn:  If these actions were abandoned during the era of the companions, then what about  the time period we are in now! As it's witnessed , every era that gets further away from the noble generations, more and more acts of sunnah are left and the period gets more wicked.

Taken from Explanation explanation of Sunnan An-Nisa’I vol (11/104)