Let me walk you through what the sources describe, step by step.
How the Prophet ﷺ prayed
The best guide for the "proper" prayer is the description given by ʿĀ'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who observed the Prophet ﷺ closely. She reported that he would:
- Begin with the Takbīr — saying "Allāhu Akbar" (Allah is greater than everything) to start the prayer.
- Recite Al-Fātiḥah, which opens with *"All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds."*
- In bowing (rukūʿ), he kept his head level — neither raised nor lowered — holding it in between.
- Rise fully upright from bowing before going down to prostration, and sit up fully between the two prostrations.
- Recite the Tashahhud after every two units of prayer.
- Sit in a specific manner: spreading the left foot and keeping the right foot upright.
- Avoid forbidden postures: he forbade sitting "like the devil" and spreading the forearms on the ground "like a wild beast."
- Conclude with the Taslīm — the salutation of peace that ends the prayer.
[Sahih Muslim — Hadith on the description of the Prophet's prayer, ID 5216 / 10906]
The Tashahhud recited in the sitting position
During the sitting, the Prophet ﷺ would say the Tashahhud:
> *"At-tahiyyātu lillāhi waṣ-ṣalawātu waṭ-ṭayyibātu, assalāmu ʿalayka ayyuhan-nabīyu wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuhu, assalāmu ʿalaynā wa ʿalā ʿibādillāhiṣ-ṣāliḥīn, ash-hadu allā ilāha illā-llāhu wa ash-hadu anna muḥammadan ʿabduhu wa rasūluhu."*
Meaning: "All greetings are for Allah, and all acts of worship and good deeds. Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you, O Prophet. Peace be upon us and upon all of Allah's righteous servants. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger."
[Dua: The Tashahhud, ID dua_22]
The remembrance after the Taslīm
After finishing the prayer with the salutation, it is from the Sunnah to say:
> *"Astaghfirullāh"* (three times), then *"Allāhumma anta as-salām wa minkas-salām, tabārakta yā dhal-jalāli wal-ikrām."*
Meaning: "I seek Allah's forgiveness (three times). O Allah, You are As-Salām and from You comes all peace; blessed are You, O Possessor of majesty and honour."
[Dua: Remembrance after salām, ID dua_25]
A note on the Witr prayer
If you are praying Witr, the Prophet ﷺ would recite Surah Al-Aʿlā, Al-Kāfirūn, and Al-Ikhlāṣ, and after the salām he would say three times: *"Subḥāna al-Malik al-Quddūs"* (Glory to the King, the Most Holy), raising his voice on the third and adding *"Rabbi al-malā'ikati war-rūḥ"* (Lord of the angels and the Spirit).
[Dua: After the salām of Witr, ID dua_33]
A practical tip
The prayer is a complete act of worship with a beginning, a middle, and an end — so focus on performing each position calmly and fully, without rushing. To help you pray on time and in the right direction, you can use the prayer times section and the Qibla compass built into your Al Muslim Plus app, and you can review the Tashahhud and post-prayer remembrances in the Invocations (Duas) section of the app.