Muwatta Malik 166
موطأ مالك#166SahihThese are the words of a Companion, not of the Prophet ﷺ. The chain is graded on its own terms.
وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ سَالِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ، كَانَ يُكَبِّرُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ كُلَّمَا خَفَضَ وَرَفَعَ . وَحَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ، كَانَ إِذَا افْتَتَحَ الصَّلاَةَ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَذْوَ مَنْكِبَيْهِ وَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ رَفَعَهُمَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ .
Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Salim ibn Abdullah that Abdullah ibn Umar used to say "Allah is greater" in the prayer whenever he lowered himself and raised himself. Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar used to raise his hands to the level of his shoulders when he began the prayer and when he raised his head from the ruku he would raise them less than that
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: 3:21