Rising from Prostration:
The Prophet ﷺ would say “Allahu Akbar” (Allah is the Greatest) and raise his head from prostration.
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ، حَدَّثَنَا زَيْدُ بْنُ الْحُبَابِ، حَدَّثَنَا كَامِلٌ أَبُو الْعَلَاءِ، حَدَّثَنِي حَبِيبُ بْنُ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَيَقُولُ بَيْنَ السَّجْدَتَيْنِ: اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَارْحَمْنِي وَعَافِنِي وَاهْدِنِي وَارْزُقْنِي.
Muhammad ibn Mas‘ud narrated to us, Zayd ibn Hubab narrated to us, Kamil Abu al-‘Ala’ narrated to me, Habib ibn Abi Thabit narrated to me from Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), that the Prophet ﷺ used to say between the two prostrations:
«اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَارْحَمْنِي وَعَافِنِي وَاهْدِنِي وَارْزُقْنِي»
“Allahumma ighfir li, warhamni, wa ‘afini, wahdini, warzuqni.”
Meaning:
“O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, grant me well-being, guide me, and provide for me.”
(Sunan Abu Dawood 850, Sunan al-Tirmidhi 284, Sunan Ibn Majah 898)
Other supplications are also reported in authentic narrations from the Prophet ﷺ for recitation between the two prostrations.
The Manner of Sitting Between Two Prostrations:
عن عائشةَ قالت كانَ رسولُ اللَّهِ صلَّى اللَّهُ عليْهِ وسلَّمَ يفتتِحُ الصَّلاةَ بالتَّكبيرِ والقراءةِ بِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَكانَ إذا رَكعَ لم يُشخِّصْ رأسَهُ ولم يصوِّبْهُ ولَكن بينَ ذلِكَ وَكانَ إذا رفعَ رأسَهُ منَ الرُّكوعِ لم يسجُدْ حتَّى يستَوِيَ قائِمًا وَكانَ يقولُ في كلِّ رَكعتينِ التَّحيَّاتُ وَكانَ إذا جلسَ يفرشُ رجلَهُ اليُسرَى وينصِبُ رجلَهُ اليمنى وَكانَ ينْهى عن عقِبِ الشَّيطانِ وعن فرشةِ السَّبعِ وَكانَ يختِمُ الصَّلاةَ بالتَّسليمِ
‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to begin the prayer with takbir (saying “Allahu Akbar”) and with the recitation of “Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil-‘alamin.”
When he bowed (in ruku‘), he did not raise his head too high nor lower it too much, but maintained a position between the two.
When he raised his head from ruku‘, he did not go into prostration until he had fully stood upright.
In every two rak‘ahs, he would recite at-tahiyyat.
When he sat, he spread his left leg and kept his right foot upright.
He forbade sitting like “the sitting of Shaytan” and lying flat like “a predatory animal.”
He concluded the prayer with taslim (saying “As-salamu ‘alaykum”).
(Sunan Abu Dawood 783)