Salam,
I think it is not impossibly difficult to find out how to pray in hadeeth. Since they have been compiled into topic-based "books," you can browse the related hadeeths in that "book." For instance, "Kitab as-Salat" contains a lot of the hadeeths mentioning salat. Including this one, which seems to be quite a comprehensive guide to the performance of (what has been called) salat:
Quote from: "Book 004, Number 0765"Abu Huraira reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) got up for prayer, he would say the takbir (Allahu Akbar) when standing, then say the takbir when bowing. then say: "Allah listened to him who praised him," when coming to the erect position after bowing, then say while standing: "To Thee, our Lord, be the praise", then recite the takbir when getting down for prostration, then say the takbir on raising his head, then say the takbir on prostrating himself, then say the takbir on raising his head. He would do that throughout the whole prayer till he would complete it, and he would say the takbir when he would get up at the end of two rak'as after adopting the sitting posture.
Later:
Quote from: "Book 004, Number 0781"When you get up to pray, recite takbir, and then recite whatever you conveniently can from the Qur'an, then bow down and remain quietly in that position, then raise yourself and stand erect; then prostrate yourself and remain quietly in that attitude; then raise yourself and sit quietly; and do that throughout all your prayers.
Although otherwise, yes it is broken up, yes there are contradictions and you will need books (or access to the many compilations) to come to the final conclusion.
If you are so inclined, I would suggest reading Shaikh Al-Albani's book "Sifat Salat al-Nabi" (format/arrangement of the prayer of the prophet). Al-Albani gathers all of the relevant hadeeths to lay out the prophet's prayer "from takbeer to tasleem" as it is said. You can find it's translation here:
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/pillars/prayer/albaani/prayer_1.htmlAlthough, "how do you pray without hadeeth?" (How do you, btw?) I suppose Allah did not see the need to tell us exactly how to perform "salat" -- why is that? Was He was waiting for Bukhari and the other muhadditheen (hadeeth scholars) to come and write it down for us? Was the example of Muhammad expected to survive unaided throughout time? Or was it assumed that human beings already understood what "salat" was? Complicated stuff... :shock:
