Sunan Abi Dawud 902
سنن أبي داود#902Da'ifحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلاَنَ، عَنْ سُمَىٍّ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ اشْتَكَى أَصْحَابُ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَشَقَّةَ السُّجُودِ عَلَيْهِمْ إِذَا انْفَرَجُوا فَقَالَ " اسْتَعِينُوا بِالرُّكَبِ " .
Narrated AbuHurayrah: The Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) complained to the Prophet (ﷺ) about the hardship when they kept their forearms far away from their sides while prostrating. He said: Take help with the elbows (by spreading them on the ground and sticking them to the sides)
Scholarly Authentication
The label above is the grade most of these scholars gave — one dissenting opinion no longer speaks for all of them. If any scholar calls a narration fabricated, that verdict is shown instead, whatever the others say. Each scholar's own wording:
In-book reference: 2:512