The Prophet ﷺ said, "The key to prayer is purification, its sanctification is the takbir, and its conclusion is the taslim."
حدثنا قتيبة وهناد ومحمود بن غيلان قالوا حدثنا وكيع عن سفيان ح و حدثنا محمد بن بشار حدثنا عبد الرحمن بن مهدي حدثنا سفيان عن عبد الله بن محمد بن عقيل عن محمد بن الحنفية
عن النبي ﷺ قال مفتاح الصلاة الطهور وتحريمها التكبير وتحليلها التسليم
[Hasan] Abu Dawud narrated it in the Book of Purification, Chapter on the Obligation of Wudu, no. 61, and Ibn Majah, no. 275, from the hadith of Waki, using the same wording. Baghawi and Nawawi graded it hasan. This hadith has many corroborating narrations, among them what Bayhaqi narrated (16/2) with a sahih chain from Ibn Masud as his own statement, which carries the ruling of a statement traced back to the Prophet.There is also a narration on this subject from Jabir [coming next, no. 4] and Abu Saeed [coming, no. 238].