«رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَفْعَلُ كَذَا»
“I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ do such-and-such.”
Phrases such as “the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to do …” also explicitly ascribe conduct to him. Marfūʿ reporting is not restricted to quoted speech; a report of the Prophet’s action falls into the same attribution category.
Contrast: “I saw the Prophet pray in this way” explicitly attributes an act to him. “A certain Companion used to pray in this way” directly reports the Companion’s behavior; a further reason would be required to treat it as Prophetic in origin.