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2. The Opening Takbir

"The adhan (call to prayer) begins with the proclamation of Allahu Akbar. The Muslim enters the Prayer itself with Allahu Akbar and repeats Allahu Akbar every time he sits or stands" Tafheem ul-Qur'an.

From the Qur'an "Proclaim the greatness of your Lord;" (74:3)

In the previous section we discussed the pillar of standing (al-qiyam). So, one must be in a standing position for their salah to be valid. The initial takbeer to kick-off the salah can't be made sitting (unless the person has a valid excuse) and shouldn't be made while a person is in the process of standing up. One should stand up straight, relax, and with tranquility recite, "Allahu Akbar."

This would be the next rukn titled, Takbeer al-Tahreem or Takbeer al-Ihram. This comes from the root haram meaning "prohibition." The reason it is named as such is because everything that was permissible before the salah, i.e., eating, drinking, speaking are now all prohibited.

Evidence of this rukn:
In the hadith of the man who prayed badly, "...When you stand for prayer, perform ablution properly and then face the Qibla and say Takbir (Allahu-Akbar)" Sahih Bukhari 6251

Narrated Ali ibn Abu Talib: The key to prayer is purification; its beginning is takbir and its end is taslim. Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani) Sunan Abi Dawud 61 & Jami at-Tirmidhi 3.

Narrated Ali ibn Abu Talib: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The key of prayer is purification; takbir (saying "Allah is most great") makes (all acts which break prayer) unlawful and taslim (uttering the salutation) makes (all such acts) lawful. Sunan Abi Dawud 618.

Sunnah acts of the takbir:
Is it necessary to raise your hands while saying the takbir? The answer is no, this is not part of the rukn rather it is a sunnah. Now, with regards to how the Prophet (ﷺ) raised his hands, is it to the ear level or shoulder level? Should one raise their hands before reciting the takbir, or is it to be done during or after?

It was narrated from Salim that: His father said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when he started to pray, raise his hands until they were parallel to his shoulders, (and he did that) when he bowed and when he raised his head from bowing." Sahih (Darussalam) Sunan an-Nasa'i 1025, Sahih al-Bukhari 735, Sahih Muslim 390a.

It was narrated from Malik bin Al-Huwairith said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), when he started to pray, raise his hands, and when he bowed, and when he raised his head from bowing, until they were parallel with the top of his ears." Sahih (Darussalam) Sunan an-Nasa'i 881

So, from these hadith it gives an account of the acceptable "zone" which is from the shoulders to the level of one's ears. The sunnah is to also have the palms face towards the qibla and not the ears and the fingers should be extended slightly. There is no authentic narration nor do any of the four schools suggest the actual touching of the ears which is commonly seen.

The messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would, on beginning prayer, utter takbir and then raise his hands parallel, with his thumbs, to his ears. He would then say, " glory be to you, Allah, and with their praise..." Daraqutni 1135

Abu Hurairah narrated: "When Allah's Messenger would enter the Salat he would raise his hands while they were extended." Hasan Darussalam Jami at-Tirmidhi 240

(1) Raising hands first, then takbir:
Ibn Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), when he stood up for prayer, used to raise his hands apposite the shoulders and then recited takbir (Allah-o-Akbar), and when he was about to bow he again did like it and when he raised himself from the ruku' (bowing posture) he again did like it, but he did not do it at the time of raising his head from prostration. Sahih Muslim 390b

(2) Raising hands whilst saying takbir:
Narrated Salim bin `Abdullah: My father said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to raise both his hands up to the level of his shoulders when opening the prayer; and on saying the Takbir for bowing. And on raising his head from bowing he used to do the same and then say "Sami`a l-lahu liman hamidah, Rabbana wa laka l-hamd." And he did not do that (i.e. raising his hands) in prostrations. Sahih al-Bukhari 735

(3) Raising hands after takbir:
Malik b. Huwairith reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) raised his hands apposite his ears at the time of reciting the takbir (i. e. at the time of beginning the prayer) and then again raised his hands apposite the ears at the time of bowing and when he lifted his head after bowing he said: Allah listened to him who praised Him, and did like it (raised his hands up to the ears). Sahih Muslim 391b

Sunnah to following the takbir of the imam:
The sunnah is to recite the takbir after the imam, not at the same time. It should also be said quietly to oneself without being distracting to other people.

Narrated Anas bin Malik: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) When he completed the prayer he said, "The Imam is to be followed; if he says Takbir then say Takbir… Sahih al-Bukhari 733

This seems simple enough, recite allahu akbar and begin the salah. But as you can see, the matter of fiqh explores many angles and is detailed as to leave no stone unturned. The arkan must be followed for the prayer to be valid, but we can also make study of all the sunnah acts of salah if we wish to try our best to perfect the prayer and pray just as Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) he did.

The meaning behind raising one's hand:
Imam Nawawi writes in Sharh Muslim, "Scholars said different things about the reason for raising one's hands. Imam Al Shaf'i said: it is a gesture to acknowledge that God is great and to confirm following His Messenger. The other scholars have said that it signifies submission and humiliation before Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) and a willingness to do as we are commanded. It used to be the practice in battle that a soldier who was overpowered and wanted to give up the fight would raise his hand as a gesture of surrender, others say that it is an indication of appreciating the seriousness of what one is embarking upon, or an indication of abandoning worldly affairs and standing in full submission before Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) to address Him. All this is included in the person saying 'Allahu Akbar'. Thus, the action of raising one's hands confirms what one says of glorifying God."

3. Recitation of the Qur'an

The recitation of the Qur'an is an agreed upon rukn of the salah. The view of Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali is that this refers specifically to the recitation of surah al-fatiha. In certain hadith narrations, it mentions surah fatiha as umm al-qur'an (mother of the Qur'an) or umm al-kitab (mother of the book). These seven verses of surah fatiha is often regarded as the summary of the entire book in essence.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe" (1) is the epitome or basis of the Qur'an, the epitome or basis of the Book, and the seven oft-repeated verses. Sahih (Al-Albani) Sunan Abi Dawud 1457

Narrated 'Ubada bin As-Samit: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Whoever does not recite Al-Fatiha in his prayer, his prayer is invalid." Sahih al-Bukhari 756

Imam Abu Hanifa adopted a different viewpoint to the other madhabs. He believed reciting surah fatiha was wajib, not a rukn (wajib meaning mandatory but missing it would not invalidate the prayer). In Nur Al-Idah it explains the position further, "This hadith (referring to bukhari 756) indicates that the prayer is not perfect without it, not that the prayer is invalid, because the hadith is a solitary hadith [ahad]. And solitary transmission does not abrogate the saying of Allah [Read of the Quran as much as may be easy for you (73:20)]. Abu Hanifa holds that the minimum recitation that is deemed valid in prayer is one verse whereas the two jurists held that it is three short verses or one long verse.'"

In Al-Hidayah, "The minimum recitation that is deemed valid in prayer is one verse, according to Abu Hanifa (God bless him). The two jurists held that it is three short verses or one long verse, because he cannot be deemed the reciter without this as otherwise he would appear to be one reciting what is less than one verse. Abu Hanifa relies upon the verse "Recite what is easy from the Qur'an," without qualifying it in any way, except that what is less than averse is excluded (as it does not give a complete meaning), anniversary does not convey (such an incomplete meaning)."

This however is a contrarian opinion and less held. The full translation of the ayah referenced is as follows: "Indeed, your Lord knows, [O Muhammad], that you stand [in prayer] almost two thirds of the night or half of it or a third of it, and [so do] a group of those with you. And Allah determines [the extent of] the night and the day. He has known that you [Muslims] will not be able to do it and has turned to you in forgiveness, so recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur'an. He has known that there will be among you those who are ill and others traveling throughout the land seeking [something] of the bounty of Allah and others fighting for the cause of Allah. So recite what is easy from it and establish prayer..." (73:20)

4. Ruku (Bowing)

"O you who have believed, bow and prostrate and worship your Lord and do good – that you may succeed." (Qur'an 22:77)

The next rukn of the salah is the ruku. The evidence given for this position as being a rukn comes from the hadith of the man who prayed badly. The Prophet (ﷺ) commanded the man to pray again saying, "...and then bow with calmness till you feel at ease." (Sahih al-Bukhari 793)

By the end of this section we'll have perfected our ruku by studying what the Prophet (ﷺ) did as well as said in this position.

The start of the ruku:
After reciting the Qur'an in standing position, one says "Allahu Akbar" and moves from one position to another. We go from standing to bowing.

Reciting tasbeeh in ruku:
The minimum requirement is to recite the dhikr once, with perfection of sunnah being achieved as being repeated three times. However, one can recite many different dhikr which the Prophet (ﷺ) recommended for the ruku. It is also mustahabb (recommended) to recite them an odd number of times, e.g, 1,3,5,7,9 or 11.

No prostrations of forgetfulness are needed for forgetting to say “Subhana Rabbi al-A‘la” during the prostration and “Subhana Rabbi al-‘Azim” during the bowing. (Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah) The reason being is according to Hanafi madhab the tasbih is a recommended sunnah of the prayer, not a wajib.

Sa’d reported that he heard his father or his uncle say; I witnessed the Prophet (ﷺ) while offering prayer. He used to stay in his bowing and his prostration as long as one utter the words “Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him” three times. Sahih (Al-Albani) Sunan Abi Dawud 885

Other Tasbeeh of Ruku:
In Sunan Abi Dawud 869, Narrated Uqbah ibn Amir: When “Glorify the name of your mighty Lord” was revealed, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Use it when bowed he said: “Subhaana Rabbiy al-Adheem wa bi hamdihi (Glory and praise be to my Lord the Almighty)...” Shaykh al-Albaani classed it as sahih in Sifat al-Salaah (The Prophet’s Prayer Described) p. 146, then later on he classed it as daif (weak).

Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite in his bowing and prostration: "Subbuhun Quddusun, Rabbul-mala'ikati war-ruh [You are the Most Glorious. The Most Holy. You the Rubb of the angels and of Jibril Riyad as-Salihin 1426

Narrated Aisha: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to say in his bowing and prostrations, "Subhanaka l-lahumma Rabbana wa bihamdika; Allahumma ghfir li.' (Exalted [from unbecoming attributes] Are you O Allah our Lord, and by Your praise [do I exalt you]. O Allah! Forgive me). Sahih al-Bukhari 794

Sunnah to recite the takbir while moving:
It's called the takbir of movement, going from one position to another. It should be recited while in movement. Not to finish saying, "Allahu Akbar" and then bow, or after bowing reciting, "Allahu Akbar."

"Abu Salama reported: Abu Huraira led prayer for them and recited takbir when he bent and raised himself (in ruku' and sujud)..." Sahih Muslim 392a

Sunnah to raise hands before and after ruku:
Narrated Salim bin Abdullah: My father said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to raise both his hands up to the level of his shoulders when opening the prayer; and on saying the Takbir for bowing. And on raising his head from bowing he used to do the same…" Sahih al-Bukhari 735

There's a difference of opinion among schools regarding this. A detailed discussion of raising hands will be saved for a later section. The raising of hands is not part of the ruku itself, rather a sunnah act.

Where to place the arms & hands:
Narrated Mus'ab bin Sa`d: I offered prayer beside my father and approximated both my hands and placed them in between the knees. My father told me not to do so and said, "We used to do the same but we were forbidden (by the Prophet) to do it and were ordered to place the hands on the knees." Sahih al-Bukhari 790

"Abbas b. Sahl. Said: Abu Humaid, Abu Usaid, Sahl. B Sa’d and Muhammad b. Maslamah (once) got together and discussed how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to offer his prayer. Abu Humaid said: I am more informed than any of you regarding the prayer offered by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Then he mentioned a part of it, and said: He then bowed and placed his hands upon his knees as if he caught hold of them; and bent them, keeping (his arms) away from his sides…" Sunan Abi Dawud 734 Sahih (Al-Albani)

The hands should rest gently grasping the knees supporting yourself with the fingers slightly spread. The knees themselves should be straight, however, if there's difficulty in achieving straight back with knees, then the knees can have slight bent. The elbows of the arms should be out to the side.

The ruku of a female:
The ruku of a female has a difference of opinions. There is no mention of a hadith which specifically teaches women how their prayer should be different to men. Rather, he (ﷺ) just says "pray as you seen me pray." So, some scholars suggests there should be no difference in the way men and women pray except for the fact that in the presence of men, they should recite the words of salah silently. The Hanbali school doesn't specify any differences between the men and women.

Now, the other schools suggest there is a difference with the core concept being that the female should conceal herself and not extend as the men have. This begins from the standing position, to have the feet and knees close together almost touching. In ruku, the fingers should not be spread out, the elbows and arms should be scrunched in closer to their bodies. She will bend the knees and lean forward just enough to touch her knees (not grasping the knees as the men do). The back will be slightly rounded and does not need to be straight. In Sajdah, the women should try to touch her stomach to her thighs and press the limbs together so as to not spread out.

Having the back straight and steady:
Narrated Muhammad bin `Amr bin `Ata': I was sitting with some of the companions of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and we were discussing about the way of praying of the Prophet. Abu Humaid As-Sa`idi said, [...] on bowing he placed his hands on both knees and bent his back straight" Sahih al-Bukhari 828

Now, if one is unable to reach the position of being straight due to flexibility issues, that's okay. The extent one should bend is based on the ability of that individual. In the case it is rushed for some reason (e.g., a person comes late to the prayer), as long as one is closer to resembling the bowing position than standing, then legally the pillar of bowing has been achieved and he has caught that rakah (unit of prayer). If he comes after the imam has already stood up from ruku, then he will need to repeat that rakah.

As a general recommendation one should record themselves or face a mirror to practice getting into ruku. Can also ask for the help of a family member or friend to judge the straightness and to get a feel for what being straight is like. Work on the flexibility in your hamstrings and back to perfect the position of this pillar if it's just a mobility issue.

Head position:
A'isha reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to begin prayer with takbir (saying Allahu Akbar) and the recitation: "Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe." When he bowed he neither kept his head up nor bent it down, but kept it between these extremes; when he raised his head after bowing he did not prostrate himself till he had stood erect; Sahih Muslim 498

To remain motionless:
As mentioned in the previous hadith, it's necessary to remain motionless for every pillar of the salah. Allow the bones to settle and to be at ease. "...And the worst of thieves is the one who steals his prayer." They said, "How does he steal his prayer, Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "He does not do ruku or sajda properly." (Muwatta Malik Book 9 Shortening the Prayer, Hadith 406)

5. Rising from Ruku

Coming from the ruku one would say, "Allahu akbar" while standing straight up leaving his/her hands by their sides (this is the most common position, but Imam Ahmed among others say that crossing hands is from the sunnah of Prophet (ﷺ).

There is no narration about where to place the hands after ruku by the side or crossed. The position that it is sunnah to cross the hands comes from the hadith, which mentions that while praying and standing, the hands were crossed. After Ruku, a person finds themselves standing, and so, therefore, it is assumed the hands would be crossed here as well.

Narrated that Waa'il ibn Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he placed his right hand over his left hand on his chest. (Sahih Ibn Khuzaima, Hadith 479) Classified as Sahih by Sheikh al-Albani in Tahqeeq Saheeh Ibn Khuzaymah.

The requirements of standing after ruku:
It was narrated that ‘Abdur-Rahman bin Shibl said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade three things: Pecking like a crow…" Hasan (Darussalam) Sunan Ibn Majah 1429. In this position the common mistake is to bounce in and out quickly, not giving the stillness required for the pillar. As the Prophet (ﷺ) gives the example of pecking like a crow.

"…The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood up and said Allahu Akbar, and raised his hands, then he raised them when he said Allahu Akbar for Ruku’, then he stood up and raised his hands, and stood straight until every bone had returned to its place.’” Sahih (Darussalam) Sunan Ibn Majah 863

What to say?
The Tasmee’ (saying Sami’a Allaahu liman hamidah) when rising from bowing and tahmeed (praising Allah by saying Rabbana wa laka’l-hamd) when standing up straight are Sunnah and are mustahabb according to the majority of scholars. The Hanbalis school view is that they are obligatory.

The majority of scholars, Hanafi, Maaliki and Hanbali, are of the view that the person praying behind the imam should limit himself to the tahmeed only (that is to only recite, Rabbana laka’l-hamd), and he should not say the tasmee (sami’a Allaahu liman hamidah). Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The Imam is (appointed) to be followed. So do not differ from him, bow when he bows, and say, "Rabbana-lakal hamd" if he says "Sami`a l-lahu liman hamidah…" Sahih al-Bukhari 722 The Shafi'i madhab viewed that it's recommended to say both.

Learning longer praises:
Learning the longer dhikrs can increase khushoo, giving you more flavor to add to your salah (i.e., somedays you need to fasten the prayer due to time constraint versus others where you really want to focus on worship and enjoy elongating it).

Short: And narrated Abu Huraira: Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stood for the prayer, he said Takbir on starting the prayer and then on bowing. On rising from bowing he said, "Sami`a llahu liman hamidah," and then while standing straight he used to say, "Rabbana laka-l hamd…" Sahih al-Bukhari 789

Medium: Narrated Rifa`a bin Rafi` Az-Zuraqi: One day we were praying behind the Prophet. When he raised his head from bowing, he said, "Sami`a l-lahu liman hamidah." A man behind him said, "Rabbana wa laka l-hamdu, hamdan kathiran taiyiban mubarakan fihi" (O our Lord! All the praises are for You, many good and blessed praises). When the Prophet completed the prayer, he asked, "Who has said these words?" The man replied, "I." The Prophet said, "I saw over thirty angels competing to write it first." Prophet rose (from bowing) and stood straight till all the vertebrae of his spinal column came to a natural position. Sahih al-Bukhari 799

Long: It was narrated from Abu Sa'eed that: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say: "Sami Allahu liman hamidah, Rabbana wa lakal-hamd, mil'as-samawati wa mil'al-ardi wa mil'ama shi'ta min shai'in ba'd. Athlath-thana'i wal-majdi khairu ma qalal-'abdu wa kulluna laka 'abdun la mani'a lima a'taita wa la yanfa'u dhal-jaddi minkal-jadd (Allah hears the one who praises Him; Our Lord, to You be the Praise, filling the heavens, filling the Earth, and filling whatever else You will, Lord of Glory and Majesty, the truest thing a slave had said, and we are all slaves to You. None can withhold what You grant, nor can the possession of an owner benefit him before You.)" Sahih (Darussalam) Sunan an-Nasa'i 1068

What happens if you forget the ruku and went straight into sujood:
Since the ruku is a rukn (pillar of salah) the prayer is invalid if it is missed. If one realizes as he is in sujood or going down for sujood that he did not perform the ruku, then he can go directly back into ruku to fulfill this obligation. It is different from a wajib (obligagtory act) which can be made up with the sujood as-sahw (prostration of forgetfulness) if missed.

To conclude the standing position after ruku:
The end of the standing position comes to an end with the takbeer of movement, i.e., to recite "Allahu Akbar" while going down for sajdah (prostration).

6. Sujood (Prostration)

"...And he did not do that (i.e. raising his hands) in prostrations." Sahih al-Bukhari 735

Narrated Ibn Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I have been ordered to prostrate on seven bones i.e. on the forehead along with the tip of the nose and the Prophet (ﷺ) pointed towards his nose, both hands, both knees and the toes of both feet and not to gather the clothes or the hair." Sahih al-Bukhari 812

"…He (i.e. the narrator) said that he then prostrated himself placing his nose and his forehead on the ground, keeping his arms away from his sides, placing the palms of his hands [on the ground] opposite his shoulders, keeping his thighs separate and not letting his stomach press on any part of his thighs till he finished; then he sat up and spread out his left foot, putting forward the front of his right foot towards his qibla, placing the palm of his right hand on his right knee and the palm of his left hand on his left knee" Mishkat al-Masabih 801

The position of the hands/arms/fingers/toes:
It was narrated that Jabir said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “When anyone of you prostrates let him be balanced in prostration, and not spread his arms as a dog does.” Sahih (Darussalam) Sunan Ibn Majah 891

It was narrated from Anas that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Be moderate in bowing and prostration, and do not rest your forearms along the ground like a dog." Sahih (Darussalam) Sunan an-Nasa'i 1028

Narrated Wa'il bin Hujr (RA): Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) bowed, he would spread out his fingers and when he prostrated he would bring his fingers together Bulugh al-Maram Arabic reference: Book 2, Hadith 300

Amir bin Sa'd [bin Abi Waqqas] narrated from his father: "The Prophet ordered placing the hands (on the ground) keeping the feet erect. (by resting feet on the toes and making the tips of the toes facing the Qiblah)." Hasan (Darussalam) Jami` at-Tirmidhi 277

It was narrated that Abu Humaid As-Sa'idi said: "When the Prophet (ﷺ) fell to the ground during prostration, he held his arms away from his sides and bent his toes." Sahih (Darussalam) Sunan an-Nasa'i 1101

What to say:

The tasbih to be said and it's minimum requirement:
It was narrated that Ibn Mas’ud said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘When anyone of you bows, let him say in his bowing: "Subhana Rabbiyal-‘Azim (Glory is to my Lord, the Most Great)” three times; if he does that his bowing will be complete. And when anyone of you prostrates, let him say in his prostration, ‘Subhana Rabbiyal-A’la (Glory if to my Lord, the Most High)” three times; if he does that, his prostration will be complete, and that is the minimum.’" Da’if (Darussalam) Sunan Ibn Majah 890

As we mentioned in the section of the ruku, this hadith is graded da'if (weak) and it's weakness is not in the fact that we don't recite Subhana Rabbiyal-‘Ala in sujood. Rather the part that is weak is the "obligation" to recite it a minimum of three times. The minimum requirement of dhikr in ruku and sujood is just one. By doing so you have completed the wajib (obligatory) action for the ruku. It is recommended to keep recital of the dhikr an odd number and 3 is better for you than 1, 5 better than 3 and so on and so forth. But it's important to know the minimum obligation for you to complete the sajdah is just one.

Upon completing the second sujood, you would recite takbeer "allahu akbar" and come out of sujood. From here depending on the prayer you are praying, you would either stand up or remain sitting for tashahhud. For the second and fourth rakah you would remain sitting in the same jalsa position for tashahhud. Usually for odd numbers you would stand up continuing with the next cycle of rakat. The exception is with witr and maghrib prayer. The witr prayer can be offered in a single rakat so you would remain sitting for that, the maghrib fardh prayer is only 3 rakat so you would remain sitting after the third rakat to complete that prayer.

7,8. Sitting between sujood & 2^nd Sajdah.

This position is formally known as 'jalsah al-istirahah' or the resting position between the two sujoods.

What to say in between sujood:
Narrated Al-Bara: The time taken by the Prophet (ﷺ) in prostrations, bowing, and the sitting interval between the two prostrations was about the same. Sahih al-Bukhari 820. Note, there are several other du'as which can be recited here as well.

"…And between the two prostrations he would say: "Rabbighfirli, Rabbighfirli (Lord forgive me, Lord forgive me)." Sunan an-Nasa'i 1145 Sahih (Darussalam)

After the jalsah one would recite, "Allahu akbar" and go back into the second prostration and recite the necessary tasbih and whatever else he wants to ask from his creator.

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "The closest that a person can be to his Lord, the Mighty and Sublime, is when he is prostrating, so increase in supplication then." Sahih (Darussalam) Sunan an-Nasa'i 1137.

The minimum requirement to complete this pillar would be to recite "subhanna rabbiyal ala" and you've finished this pillar. The sunnah would be to take this opportunity of being close to Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) in a state of submission and make du'a. After this, recite "Allahu akbar" and go back into the second sujood.

9. Sitting in last Tashahhud.

The Qa'dah:
The qa'dah is the next position of the salah where the tashahhud would be recited. If it is a two rakah salah, the first tashahhud is the last one so it becomes a pillar of the salah. If it is a three or four rakah salah the first tashahhud becomes a wajib and the final tashahhud is a rukn.

Narrated Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When an imam stands up at the end of two rak'ahs, if he remembers before standing straight up, he should sit down, but if he stands straight up, he must not sit down, but perform the two prostrations of forgetfulness. Sahih (Al-Albani) Sunan Abi Dawud 1036

It was narrated that Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘When the Imam recites, then listen attentively, and if he is sitting (in the prayer) then the first remembrance that anyone of you recites should be the Tashahhud.’” Sunan Ibn Majah 847 Grade: Sahih (Darussalam).

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas’ud: It pertains to the sunnah to utter the tashahhud quietly. Grade: Sahih (Al-Albani)

10. Reciting last Tashahhud

Note, there are several versions of the tashahhud and the one given below is the one often mentioned in Hanafi madhaabb. They are all correct and choosing the variations is a matter of preference.

The sunnah of the finger moving:
Not raising the finger during the tashahhud does not invalidate the prayer. It is a sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and should be encouraged.

It was narrated that Wa’il bin Hujr said: “I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) making a circle with his thumb and middle finger, and raising the one next to it (the index finger), supplicating with it during the Tashah-hud.” Sahih (Darussalam) Sunan Ibn Majah 912

The other position for the finger is given in Muslim "...placed his right palm on the right thigh and closed all his fingers and pointed with the help of finger next to the thumb, and placed his left palm on his left thigh." Sahih Muslim 580c

The sunnah to gaze at the finger:
It was narrated from 'Amir bin Abdullah bin Az-Zubair, from his father, that: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sat to say the tashahhud, he placed his left hand on his left thigh and pointed with his forefinger, and his gaze did not go beyond he finger with which he was pointing. Sahih (Darussalam) Sunan an-Nasa'i 1275 & Sunan Abi Dawud 990

Du'a after tashahhud:
If it is a two rakah salah then after the tashahhud one could recite the taslim (the final rukn) and their prayer would be valid and finished. The sunnah would be to take some time after tashahhud and make du'a asking for whatever they wish (both worldly and for the akhirah). The sunnah is to send prayers on behalf of Prophet Muhammad and Prophet Ibrahim (may peace be upon them). If it is a three or four rakah salah then the person would recite "Allahu Akbar" and begin the next cycle of rakah.

The du'a offered after the tashahhud is often a salawat to send prayers onto the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and Prophet Ibrahim (as). There is a difference of opinion as to whether this is a rukn, wajib, or sunnah. Hanbali, Shafi'i view is that it is mandatory, Hanafi and Maliki view it as a sunnah and not a rukn.

It does seem that the strongest view is it's a recommended sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and not a rukn/wajib the salah. If after the tashahhud one just did the taslim and finished their prayer it would be permissible. But the purpose of the salah is to get the most out of it, so taking the extra time to learn a few supplications and follow the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ would be best.

After the tashahhud he ﷺ taught the following: Abu Hurairah narrated that: Allah's Messenger said: "Whoever sends Salat upon me, Allah sends Salat upon him ten times." Sahih (Darussalam) Jami at-Tirmidhi 485

11. The Tasleem

Narrated Ali ibn Abu Talib: The key to prayer is purification; its beginning is takbir and its end is taslim. Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani) Sunan Abi Dawud 61

The tasleem is reciting, "assalamualaikum warahmatullah" and turning the head to look to the right. Legally at this point most jurists agree the prayer is officially complete and the second tasleem does not need to be offered. However, the sunnah is to repeat the same for the left. The Maliki school believe that the second tasleem is obligatory. Majority are of the view it is sunnah and highly recommended.

Jabir b. Samura reported: We said our prayer with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and, while pronouncing salutations, we made gestures with our hands (indicating)" Peace be upon you, peace be upon you." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) looked towards us and said: Why is it that you make gestures with your hands like the tails of headstrong horses? When any one of you pro- nounces salutation (in prayer) he should only turn his face towards his companion and should not make a gesture with his hand. Sahih Muslim 431b

In some narrations there is the addition of "wa barakatuh"

Narrated Wa'il bin Hujr (RA): I prayed with the Prophet (ﷺ) and he would give the Taslim (salutation) to his right side (saying), "Peace be upon you and the mercy and blessings of Allah"; and to his left side (saying), "Peace be upon you and mercy and the blessings of Allah." [Reported by Abu Dawud, with a Sahih (authentic) chain]. Bulugh al-Maram Arabic reference: Book 2, Hadith 320

Only look to the right:
Bara' reported: When we prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) we cherished to be on his right side so that his face would turn towards us (at the end of the prayer), and he (the narrator) said: I heard him say: O my Lord! save me from Thy torment on the Day when Thoil, wouldst raise or gather Thy servants. Sahih Muslim 709a

Look both ways:
Hadith which mentions left and right: Amr bin Sa'd narrated from his father: That the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say the taslim to his right and to his left. Sahih (Darussalam) Sunan an-Nasa'i 1316

It was narrated that 'Abdullah said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say the salam to his right so that the whiteness of his cheek could be seen, and to his left so that the whiteness of his cheek could be seen." Sahih (Darussalam) Sunan an-Nasa'i 1323

12, 13. Being Still & Following order of Arkan of Salah.

The final two arkan of the salah are general principles which apply to every step. Having calmness or tranquility during all of these acts and performing the above in the correct order.

Sunnah to make du'a after tasleem:
Abu Umamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked: "At what time does the supplication find the greatest response?" He (ﷺ) replied, "A supplication made during the middle of the last part of the night and after the conclusion of the obligatory prayers." [At-Tirmidhi]. Riyad as-Salihin 1500

It was narrated from Aishah that: After saying the taslim the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would say: