‘Uqba b. ‘Amir said that when “Glorify the name of your mighty Lord” (Al-Qur’an; 56:74, 96; 69:52) was revealed, God’s Messenger said, “Use it when bowing;” and when “Glorify the name of your most high Lord” (Al-Qur’an; 87) was revealed, he said, “Use it when prostrating yourselves.”
Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A man’s prayer does not avail him unless he keeps his back steady when bowing and prostrating himself.”
Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it, and Tirmidhi said this is a hasan sahih tradition.
Narrated ‘Aun b. ‘Abdallah reported on the authority of Ibn Mas'ud that God’s Messenger said:
When one of you bows and says three times while doing so, “Glory be to my mighty Lord”, his bowing is complete; and that is the least which effects this. When he prostrates himself and says three times while doing so, “Glory be to my most high Lord”, his prostration is complete; and that is the least which effects this.
Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it, but Tirmidhi said that its isnad is not connected, because ‘Aun did not meet Ibn Mas'ud.
We were praying behind the Prophet, and when he raised his head at the end of the rak'a he said, “God listens to him who praises Him.” A man behind him said, ‘O our Lord, to Thee be the praise, abundant, good, blessed, sufficient.” When he ended he asked, “Who was the speaker just now ?” and when the man replied that he had spoken he said, “I saw over thirty angels racing one another to be the first to record it.”
