My friend (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) forbade me that I should peck in my prayer like the pecking of a rooster, that I should look about like the looking about of a fox, and that I should squat like the squatting of the monkey.
The following excerpt is taken from the book: Sharḥ Sifah Salatin-Nabī (Pg: 263) – The Explanation of the Prophet’s Prayer Described (of Imām Muḥammad Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Albānī) by Dr. Muḥammad Ibn ʿUmar Bazmūl.
As for the ḥadīth of Abū Hurayrah, may Allāh be pleased with him: “My friend (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) forbade me that I should peck in my prayer like the pecking of a rooster, that I should look about like the looking about of a fox and that I should squat like the squatting of the monkey.”
(I [Shaykh Muḥammad Bazmūl] say): Have you seen the pecking of the rooster? How he searches for the grain on the ground then he pecks in order to get the grain; the Messenger (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) coined a similitude for the worshipper who prays and does not settle himself in his rukūʿ (bowing) nor his sujūd (prostration), that he pecks like the pecking of the rooster. So the Messenger (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) forbade the Muslim from pecking in his prayer like the pecking of the rooster. What is intended is that he does not have tranquility therein nor is he calm or at ease therein. He has only performed it with speed to the point that he has not achieved even the minimum of that which would make the pillars of the prayer correct.
He said: “…that I should look about like the looking about of a fox…” Have you seen the fox, how he looks about with speed to the right and to the left and moves his eyes? The Messenger (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) forbade the Muslim, when in prayer, to look about like the looking about of the fox. Because that which has been made obligatory is that he be in a state of humility and that he should not move his eyes from the place of prostration. And if there does occur from him some looking about, then it should only be occasional and few (in occurrence); and that would not invalidate the prayer. It would only invalidate the prayer if there is an abundance of looking about, like the looking about of the fox.
He said: “…and that I should squat like the squatting of the monkey.” The squatting of the monkey is that one attaches his buttocks to the ground and erects his shins, attaching them to his thighs while having his feet on the ground. Similar to the description of the dog when he sits when he sits and raises his front paws. Due to this, there has come in some aḥadīth, the prohibition of squatting like the squatting of a dog. It has a second description; that he places his shins and knees on the ground and brings his buttocks between them to the ground. There is a third description; that he places his shins upon the ground, erects his feet and sits upon his heels. So from this, the squatting of the monkey has (three) descriptions:
Translated by Raha ʿAzīzudīn Batts