Praying with humility and calm is a sunnah the Prophet both practiced and advised.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed with humility, with long standing, bowing and prostration, and he was seen weeping in prayer. In the bowing position he would say, "O Allah, I have bowed before You alone; my ears, my eyes and my bones are humbled before You alone." He also advised his companions to pray with humility, entreaty and submission. Prayer is not merely bodily movement; it is the heart turning to Allah.
What does the hadith say?
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَلاَّمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ هَارُونَ - أَخْبَرَنَا حَمَّادٌ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ سَلَمَةَ - عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ مُطَرِّفٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُصَلِّي وَفِي صَدْرِهِ أَزِيزٌ كَأَزِيزِ الرَّحَى مِنَ الْبُكَاءِ صلى الله عليه وسلم .
Narrated Abdullah ibn ash-Shikhkhir: I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praying and a sound came from his breast like the rumbling of a mill owing to weeping
Text: Sunan Abi Dawud, hadith no. 904. Grade: Sahih, Isnaad Sahih.
What is the hadith source of this sunnah?
This sunnah rests on the following hadiths. The reference gives the collection, chapter and number where the hadith appears.
- Abu Dawud, Book of Prayer, 156-157 (hadith no. 904)
- at-Tirmidhi, Book of Supplications, 32 (hadith no. 3421)
- at-Tirmidhi, Book of Prayer, 166 (hadith no. 385)
- Muslim, Book of the Travellers' Prayer, 203 (hadith no. 1814)
How this page was prepared: sources and verification method.
More sunnahs in Prayer & Worship
As a table with references: Prayer & Worship sunnahs.
- A Supplication on Leaving Home: Reciting a supplication every time you leave home means setting out in Allah's name and trusting in Him.
- Tasbih After Prayer: Saying subhanallah, alhamdulillah and Allahu akbar thirty-three times each after every prayer is a remembrance the Prophet taught.
- Fasting on Monday and Thursday: Fasting on Mondays and Thursdays is a sunnah the Prophet carefully observed.
- Salawat on Friday: Sending abundant salawat on Fridays is a beautiful expression of love and devotion to the Prophet.
- Making Repentance a Habit: Repenting a hundred times a day stands for the heart's constant cleansing and turning to Allah.
- Reflection and Remembering Death: Remembering death and reflecting deeply protects the heart from attachment to the world.
- Reading the Qur'an with Understanding: Reading the Qur'an slowly and with understanding carries it not merely to the voice but to the heart.
- Lawful Provision: Eating what is pure and lawful, and keeping away from the doubtful and the forbidden, is required by faith.
- Praying the Fajr Sunnah at Home: Praying the sunnah of Fajr at home and the obligatory prayer in congregation at the mosque was the Prophet's practice.