Abu bakr b. ‘Abd al-Rahman and abu Salamah said:

Abu Hurairah would utter the takbir in every prayer, whether obligatory or non-obligatory, He would utter the takbir when he stood, and he would utter the takbir when he bowed, then he would say: “Allah listens to him who praises Him”; he then would say before prostrating himself; “ Our Lord, to Thee be praise”; then he would say while falling in prostration: “Allah is most great”; he then would utter the takbir when he raised his head after prostration, and then utter the takbir when he prostrated, and then utter takbir the takbir when he stood up at the end of two rak’ahs after sitting down. He used to do so in every rak’ah until he finished his prayer. Then he would say at the end of the prayer: By Him in Whose hands lies my life, I am closer to the Messenger of Allahﷺ in respect of his prayer. Such was the prayer he used to offer until he departed from the world.

Abu Dawud said: Malik, al-Zubaidi and others have narrated so that they form the last words from al-Zuhri on the authority of ‘Ali b, Husain. And this is supported by the version reported by ‘Abd al-A’la from Ma’mar and SHu’aib b. Abi Hamzah on the authority of Al-Zuhri.

حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عُثْمَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي وَبَقِيَّةُ، عَنْ شُعَيْبٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، وَأَبُو سَلَمَةَ أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، كَانَ يُكَبِّرُ فِي كُلِّ صَلاَةٍ مِنَ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ وَغَيْرِهَا يُكَبِّرُ حِينَ يَقُومُ ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ حِينَ يَرْكَعُ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَسْجُدَ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ حِينَ يَهْوِي سَاجِدًا ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ حِينَ يَرْفَعُ رَأْسَهُ ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ حِينَ يَسْجُدُ ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ حِينَ يَرْفَعُ رَأْسَهُ ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ حِينَ يَقُومُ مِنَ الْجُلُوسِ فِي اثْنَتَيْنِ فَيَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ حَتَّى يَفْرُغَ مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ حِينَ يَنْصَرِفُ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنِّي لأَقْرَبُكُمْ شَبَهًا بِصَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنْ كَانَتْ هَذِهِ لَصَلاَتُهُ حَتَّى فَارَقَ الدُّنْيَا . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ هَذَا الْكَلاَمُ الأَخِيرُ يَجْعَلُهُ مَالِكٌ وَالزُّبَيْدِيُّ وَغَيْرُهُمَا عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حُسَيْنٍ وَوَافَقَ عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ شُعَيْبَ بْنَ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ .