Al-Hasan said that ‘Umar b. al-Khattab congregated the people with Ubayy b. Ka‘b as imam and he led them in prayer for twenty nights, but led them in humble supplication only in the second half. When the last ten days came he withdrew and prayed in his house, and the people were saying, “Ubayy has run away.”
I said to my father, “Father, you have prayed behind God’s Messenger, Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthman, and behind Ali here in al-Kufa for about five years. Did they stand in humble supplication?” He replied, “Sonny, it is an innovation.”
Anas b. Malik was asked about standing in humble supplication and replied, “God’s Messenger stood in humble supplication after bowing.” A version has “before and after bowing.”
