Abu Qatada reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The one who commits the worst theft is he who steals from his prayer.” When asked how one could steal from his prayer he replied, “By not performing his bowing and his prostration perfectly.”
Shaqiq said that Hudhaifa saw a man who was not performing the bowing or the prostration perfectly, so when he finished his prayer he called him. Hudhaifa said to him, “You have not prayed.” He added that he thought he also said, “If you were to die, you would die following something other than the true religion which God created Muhammad to proclaim.”
An-Nu‘man b. Murra reported God’s Messenger as saying, “What do you think of the drinker, the fornicator, and the thief?” That was before the prescribed punishments regarding them were revealed. On receiving the reply that God and His Messenger knew best, he said, “Such sins are abominations and punishment is prescribed for them, but the worst theft is what one steals from his prayer.” He was asked how one could steal from his prayer and replied, “By not performing his bowing and his prostration perfectly.”
Malik and Ahmad transmitted it, and Darimi transmitted something similar.
Ibn Jubair said that he heard Anas b. Malik declare, “After the death of God’s Messenger I never prayed behind anyone whose prayer more closely resembled that of God’s Messenger than this young man,” meaning ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-‘AzIz.* He reported him as saying, “I computed that he uttered ten tasbihas when bowing and ten when prostrating himself.”
* He was Caliph from 99 to 101 A.H. and was noted for his piety.
