I was told that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "A man's prayer while seated is half of the prayer."So I went to him and found him praying while seated. I placed my hand on my head, and he asked, "What is the matter, Abdullah bin Amr?"I replied, "Messenger of Allah, I was told that you said, 'A man's prayer while seated is half of the prayer,' yet you are praying while seated."He said, "That is true, but I am not like any one of you."
حدثت أن رسول الله ﷺ قال: صلاة الرجل قاعدا نصف الصلاة قال: فأتيته فوجدته يصلي جالسا، فوضعت يدي على رأسي فقال: ما لك يا عبد الله بن عمرو؟ قلت: حدثت يا رسول الله أنك قلت: صلاة الرجل قاعدا على نصف الصلاة وأنت تصلي قاعدا. قال: أجل، ولكني لست كأحد منكم.
Muslim narrated it in the Book of the Traveler's Prayer (735) from Zuhayr bin Harb, who said, Jareer narrated to us, from Mansur, from Hilal bin Yasaf, from Abu Yahya, from Abdullah bin Amr, and he related it.Malik narrated it in the Book of Congregational Prayer (19) in abridged form, "The prayer of one of you performed sitting is equal to half his prayer performed standing." He narrated it from Ismail bin Muhammad bin Saad bin Abu Waqqas, from a freedman of Amr bin As, or of Abdullah bin Amr bin As, from Abdullah bin Amr bin As, and he related it.His statement, "I am not like any of you," is among the distinguishing characteristics of the Prophet ﷺ. His voluntary prayer performed sitting, despite his ability to stand, was made equal to his voluntary prayer performed standing, as an honor granted to him, just as he was singled out with other special distinctions.