Jubair b. Mut'im said that he saw God’s Messenger observing a prayer in which he said, “God is altogether great; God is altogether great; God is altogether great. Praise be to God in abundance; praise be to God in abundance; praise be to God in abundance. Glory be to God in the morning and afternoon (saying it three times). I seek refuge in God from the accursed devil, from his puffing up (nafkh), his magic (nafth) 1, and his evil suggestion (hamz) 2.”
1. Literally ‘sputtering’, but used of working magic by sputtering on knots. Cf. Qur’an, 113:4.
2. For this meaning cf. Qur’an, 23:97.
Abu Dawud transmitted it, as did Ibn Majah, but he did not mention, “Praise be to God in abundance,” and he mentioned at the end of it “from the accursed devil.” ‘Umar said that his nafkh is pride, his, nafth is poetry, and his hamz is madness.
‘A’isha said that when God’s Messenger began to pray he said, “Glory be to Thee, O God, and with praise of Thee do I begin my worship. Blessed is Thy name, exalted is Thy majesty, and there is no god but Thee.”
Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted it from Abu Sa'id. Tirmidhi said, “This is a tradition which I know only from Haritha, and critical remarks have been made about his memory.”
Samura b. Jundub said that he remembered from God's Messenger two periods of silence, one when he said the takbir, and one when he finished reciting, “Not of those with whom Thou art angry, nor of those who go astray,”* and Ubayy b, Ka‘b corroborated him.
*Al-Qur’an, 1:7
Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted something similar.
Anas said that a man came panting and entered the row of worshippers and said, “God is most great. Praise be to God, much, good and blessed.” When God’s Messenger finished his prayer he asked, “Which of you is the one who spoke the words?” but the people remained silent. He asked again, and when they still kept silence, he said, “Which of you said them? He said nothing wrong.” Then a man said, “I came and had difficulty in breathing, so I said them.” He replied, “I saw twelve angels racing one another to be the one to take them up to God.”
