We came to Uqba bin Amr al-Ansari, also known as Abu Masud, and said to him, "Tell us about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ."So he stood before us in the mosque and pronounced the takbir. When he bowed, he placed his hands on his knees with his fingers pointing downward and held his elbows away from his sides until every part of him became still. Then he said, "Allah hears whoever praises Him," and rose up until every part of him became still. Then he pronounced the takbir and prostrated, placing his palms on the ground and holding his elbows away from his sides until every part of him became still. Then he raised his head and sat until every part of him became still. He did the same again, then prayed four units of prayer in this manner, completing his prayer.Then he said, "This is how we saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ pray."
أتينا عقبة بن عمرو والأنصاري أبا مسعود فقلنا له: حدثنا عن صلاة رسول الله ﷺ فقام بين يدينا في المسجد، فكبر فلما ركع وضع يديه على ركبتيه، وجعل أصابعه أسف من ذلك، وجافى بين مرفقيه، حتى استقر كل شيء منه، ثم قال: سمع الله لمن حمده، فقام حتى استقر كل شيء منه، ثم كبر وسجد، ووضع كفيه على الأرض، ثم جافى بين مرفقيه حتى استقر كل شيء منه، ثم رفع رأسه، فجلس حتى استقر كل شيء منه. ففعل مثل ذلك أيضا، ثم صلى أربع ركعات مثل هذه الركعة، فصلى صلاته. ثم قال: هكذا رأينا رسول الله ﷺ يصلي.
Abu Dawud (863) narrated it from Zuhayr bin Harb, who said, Jareer narrated to us, from Ata bin Saaib, from Salim Barrad, and he mentioned it.Jareer is among those who narrated from Ata bin Saaib after his mental confusion set in, and Zaida bin Qudama followed him in that, as recorded by Nasai (2/186), Ahmad (17081), and Bayhaqi (2/121), and he too is among those who narrated after the confusion.However, Abu Awana narrated it, as recorded by Imam Ahmad (22359), from him, and he is among those who narrated both before and after the confusion. The fact that these narrators corroborate one another confirms that he was not confused regarding this hadith, and this is also because what he narrated together here appears scattered across the other narrations.