Ma’dan bin Abu Talhah Al-Ya’muri said: “I met Thawban and said to him: ‘Tell me a Hadith that Allah may benefit me thereby.’ But he remained silent. Then I said the same and he remained silent. That happened three times. Then he said to me: ‘You should prostrate to Allah; for I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “No one prostrates to Allah but Allah will raise him one degree in status thereby and will erase one of his sins.” Ma’dan said: “Then I met Abu Darda’ and asked him the same question, and he gave a similar answer.”

It was narrated from ‘Ubadah bin Samit that he heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “No one prostrates to Allah but Allah will record one Hasanah (good reward) for him, and will erase thereby one bad deed and raise him in status one degree. So prostrate a great deal.”

It was narrated that Anas bin Hakim Dabbi said: “Abu Hurairah said to me: ‘When you go to your country, tell them that I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “The first thing for which the Muslim will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be the prescribed prayers. If they are complete, all well and good, otherwise it will be said: ‘Look and see whether he has any voluntary prayers.’ If he has any voluntary prayers, his prescribed prayers will be completed from his voluntary prayers. Then the same will be done with regard to all his obligatory deeds.”

It was narrated from Tamim Dari that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “The first thing for which a person will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayer. If it is complete, then the voluntary (prayers) will also be recorded for him (as an increase). If it is not complete then Allah will say to His angels: ‘Look and see whether you find any voluntary prayers for My slave, and take them to make up what is lacking from his obligatory prayers.’ Then all his deeds will be reckoned in like manner.”

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Is anyone of you incapable, when he prays, of stepping forwards or backwards, or to his right or left?” meaning in order to offer a voluntary prayer.

It was narrated from Al-Mughirah bin Shu’bah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The Imam should not pray in the place where he offered the obligatory prayer, until he moves aside.” Another chain from Mughirah, from the Prophet (ﷺ) with similar wording.

It was narrated that ‘Abdur-Rahman bin Shibl said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade three things: Pecking like a crow, spreading (the forearms) like a beast of prey, and a man having a place in the mosque in which he usually offers the prayer, like a camel has a place to which it usually goes.”

It was narrated from Yazid bin Abu ‘Ubaid that Salamah bin Al-Akwa’ used to offer the Duha prayer, and he would come to the pillar that was near the Mushaf. I said to him: “Why do you not pray over there?” And I pointed to some corner of the mosque. He said: “I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) seeking out this place.”

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah bin Sa’ib said: “I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praying on the Day of the Conquest, and he put his shoes on his left.”

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Keep your shoes on your feet. If you take them off then place them between your two feet; do not place them to your right, or to the right of your companions, or behind you, for they may annoy whoever is behind you.’”