Sahih Muslim Book - 5, Hadith - 1191

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ الْهَمْدَانِىُّ أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ وَعَلْقَمَةَ قَالاَ أَتَيْنَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ فِى دَارِهِ فَقَالَ أَصَلَّى هَؤُلاَءِ خَلْفَكُمْ فَقُلْنَا لاَ. قَالَ فَقُومُوا فَصَلُّوا. فَلَمْ يَأْمُرْنَا بِأَذَانٍ وَلاَ إِقَامَةٍ - قَالَ - وَذَهَبْنَا لِنَقُومَ خَلْفَهُ فَأَخَذَ بِأَيْدِينَا فَجَعَلَ أَحَدَنَا عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَالآخَرَ عَنْ شِمَالِهِ - قَالَ - فَلَمَّا رَكَعَ وَضَعْنَا أَيْدِيَنَا عَلَى رُكَبِنَا - قَالَ - فَضَرَبَ أَيْدِيَنَا وَطَبَّقَ بَيْنَ كَفَّيْهِ ثُمَّ أَدْخَلَهُمَا بَيْنَ فَخِذَيْهِ - قَالَ - فَلَمَّا صَلَّى قَالَ إِنَّهُ سَتَكُونُ عَلَيْكُمْ أُمَرَاءُ يُؤَخِّرُونَ الصَّلاَةَ عَنْ مِيقَاتِهَا وَيَخْنُقُونَهَا إِلَى شَرَقِ الْمَوْتَى فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمُوهُمْ قَدْ فَعَلُوا ذَلِكَ فَصَلُّوا الصَّلاَةَ لِمِيقَاتِهَا وَاجْعَلُوا صَلاَتَكُمْ مَعَهُمْ سُبْحَةً وَإِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلاَثَةً فَصَلُّوا جَمِيعًا وَإِذَا كُنْتُمْ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَلْيَؤُمَّكُمْ أَحَدُكُمْ وَإِذَا رَكَعَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَفْرِشْ ذِرَاعَيْهِ عَلَى فَخِذَيْهِ وَلْيَجْنَأْ وَلْيُطَبِّقْ بَيْنَ كَفَّيْهِ فَلَكَأَنِّى أَنْظُرُ إِلَى اخْتِلاَفِ أَصَابِعِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- فَأَرَاهُمْ.

It was narrated that Al-Aswad and 'Alqamah said: "We came to 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud in his house and he said: 'Did these people offered prayers whom you left behind you?' We said: 'No.' He said: 'Get up and offer prayers, and he did not tell us to call the Adhan nor the Iqamah. We went and stood behind him, and he took our hands and made one of us stand on his right and the other on his left. When he bowed, we placed our hands on our knees, and he struck our hands and put his hands together and placed them between his thighs. When he had completed his prayers, he said: 'There will be in charge of you governors who will delay the prayer from its proper time, and they may delay it (the 'Asr prayer) until the sun is about to set. If you see them doing that, then offer the prayer at its proper time, and make your prayer with them a voluntary prayer. If you are three, then pray together (standing in one row), and if you are more than that, then appoint one of you as your Imam. When one of you bows, let him put his forearms on his thighs, and bow down, and put his hands together. It is as if I can see the interlaced fingers of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w),' and he showed them how."