[Machine] I did not pray behind an Imam who was more humble and who performed a more complete prayer than the Messenger of Allah ﷺ .  

مَا صَلَّيْتُ وَرَاءَ إِمَامٍ أَخَفَّ وَلَا أَتَمَّ صَلَاةً مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to shorten the prayer and complete it.  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُوجِزُ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُكْمِلُهَا  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to shorten the prayer and complete it.  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُوجِزُ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُتِمُّ  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to perform the prayers in a perfect manner, and according to the narration of Ibn Abi Aruba, he was one of the most concealed among the people.  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَخَفَّ النَّاسِ صَلَاةً فِي تَمَامٍ وَفِي حَدِيثِ ابْنِ أَبِي عَرُوبَةَ مِنْ أَخَفِّ النَّاسِ  

[Machine] A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, "O Messenger of Allah, I often miss the Fajr prayer because so-and-so delays us." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Among you are those who make others detestable. So whoever is among you should reduce the length of the prayer, for among you are the old, the sick, and those with needs."  

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّي لَأَتَخَلَّفُ عَنْ صَلَاةِ الصُّبْحِ مِمَّا يُطَوِّلُ بِنَا فُلَانٌ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّ مِنْكُمْ مُنَفِّرِينَ فَأَيُّكُمْ أَمَّ النَّاسَ فَلْيُخَفِّفْ فَإِنَّ فِيكُمُ الْكَبِيرَ وَالسَّقِيمَ وَذَا الْحَاجَةِ  

Once a man said to Messenger of Allah ﷺ "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! I may not attend the (compulsory congregational) prayer because so and so (the Imam) prolongs the prayer when he leads us for it. The narrator added: "I never saw the Prophet ﷺ more furious in giving advice than he was on that day. The Prophet said, "O people! Some of you make others dislike good deeds (the prayers). So whoever leads the people in prayer should shorten it because among them there are the sick the weak and the needy (having some jobs to do). (Using translation from Bukhārī 90)   

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّي لَا أَكَادُ أُدْرِكُ الصَّلَاةَ مِمَّا يُطَوِّلُ بِنَا فُلَانٌ فَمَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فِي مَوْعِظَةٍ كَانَ أَشَدَّ غَضَبًا مِنْهُ يَوْمَئِذٍ فَقَالَ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ مِنْكُمْ مُنَفِّرِينَ مَنْ صَلَّى بِالنَّاسِ فَلْيُخَفِّفْ فَإِنَّ فِيهِمُ الْمَرِيضَ وَالضَّعِيفَ وَذَا الْحَاجَةِ  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "When one of you leads the prayer for the people, let him make it lightened, for amongst them there may be the weak and the elderly, as well as those in need."  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ لِلنَّاسِ فَلْيُخَفِّفْ فَإِنَّ فِيهِمُ الضَّعِيفَ وَالْكَبِيرَ وَذَا الْحَاجَةِ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: When any one of you leads people in prayer, he must shorten it for among them are the weak, the infirm and those who have business to attend. (Using translation from Muslim 467c)   

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمُ النَّاسَ فَلْيُخَفِّفْ فَإِنَّ فِي النَّاسِ الضَّعِيفَ وَالسَّقِيمَ وَذَا الْحَاجَةِ  

“When you lead people, keep it short for them.” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 988)   

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا أَمَمْتَ الْقَوْمَ فَأَخِفَّ بِهِمُ الصَّلَاةَ  

[Machine] The last thing that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ advised me when you lead a group is to conceal the prayer from them.  

آخِرُ مَا عَهِدَ إِلَيَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا أَمَمْتَ قَوْمًا فَأَخِفَّ بِهِمُ الصَّلَاةَ  

[Machine] I arrived at the city and stayed at Abu Hurairah's place. There was a close relationship between him and his followers, so he used to lead the people in prayer and make it short. I asked Abu Hurairah, "Was this how the Prophet Muhammad's prayer used to be?" He replied, "Yes, it was."  

قَدِمْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَنَزَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَكَانَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ مَوَالِيَّ قَرَابَةٌ فَكَانَ يَؤُمُّ النَّاسَ فَيُخَفِّفُ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ هَكَذَا كَانَتْ صَلَاةُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَأَوْجَزُ  

[Machine] That Mu'adh sought permission from him, so he went to the Prophet ﷺ complaining to him about Mu'adh. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Are you a troublemaker or are you two troublemakers?" three times. If it were not for you praying with "Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High" and "By the sun and its brightness" and "By the night when it covers", then indeed the elderly, the one in need, and the weak would have prayed behind you.  

أَنَّ مُعَاذًا أَنَالَ مِنْهُ فَأَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَشَكَا إِلَيْهِ مُعَاذًا فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَفَاتِنٌ أَنْتَ أَوْ قَالَ أَفَتَّانٌ أَنْتَ؟ ثَلَاثَ مِرَارٍ فَلَوْلَا صَلَّيْتَ بِسَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى فَإِنَّهُ يُصَلِّي وَرَاءَكَ الْكَبِيرُ وَذُو الْحَاجَةِ وَالضَّعِيفُ  

[Machine] He told him that Mu'adh ibn Jabal prayed the Isha prayer and prolonged it with his companions. So the Prophet ﷺ was informed of that, and the Prophet ﷺ said to Mu'adh, "Are you trying to cause difficulty, O Mu'adh? Make it easy for the people and recite the Surah of the Sun and its brightness, and glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High, and similar to that, and do not burden the people."  

أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ مُعَاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ صَلَّى الْعِشَاءَ فَطَوَّلَ عَلَى أَصْحَابِهِ فَأُخْبِرَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بِذَلِكَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لِمُعَاذٍ أَفَتَّانٌ أَنْتَ يَا مُعَاذُ خَفِّفْ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَاقْرَأْ بِالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا وَسَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ وَلَا تَشُقَّ عَلَى النَّاسِ  

[Machine] Mu'adh used to pray Isha prayer with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and then he would return and pray with his companions. One night, he came back and prayed with them and a young man from his people prayed behind him. When Mu'adh took too long in the prayer, the young man prayed and left, grabbed the reins of his camel, and went ahead. When Mu'adh finished praying, someone informed him of what the young man had done. Mu'adh said, "Indeed, this is hypocrisy. I will inform the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about what he did." The young man said, "I will also inform the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about what he did." So they went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and Mu'adh informed him about what the young man had done. The young man said, "O Messenger of Allah, Mu'adh takes a long time to stay with you and then he takes a long time with us." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Are you complaining, O Mu'adh?" He said to the young man, "How do you behave, O son of my brother, when you pray?" The young man said, "I recite Surah Al-Fatiha and ask Allah for Paradise and seek refuge in Him from the Fire. And I do not know how you and Mu'adh recite." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Mu'adh and I both recite something like or similar to that." He then said, "The young man will know when the people come and are informed that the enemy has come." So they went ahead and the young man was martyred. After that, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked Mu'adh, "What did my opponent and your opponent do?" He said, "O Messenger of Allah, Allah is truthful and I lied. He was martyred."  

كَانَ مُعَاذٌ يُصَلِّي مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ الْعِشَاءَ ثُمَّ يَرْجِعُ فَيُصَلِّي بِأَصْحَابِهِ فَرَجَعَ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ فَصَلَّى بِهِمْ وَصَلَّى خَلْفَهُ فَتًى مِنْ قَوْمِهِ فَلَمَّا طَالَ عَلَى الْفَتَى صَلَّى وَخَرَجَ وَأَخَذَ بِخِطَامِ بَعِيرِهِ وَانْطَلَقَ فَلَمَّا صَلَّى مُعَاذٌ ذُكِرَ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ هَذَا بِهِ لَنِفَاقٌ لَأُخْبِرَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ بِالَّذِي صَنَعَ وَقَالَ الْفَتَى وَأَنَا لَأُخْبِرَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ بِالَّذِي صَنَعَ فَغَدَوْا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَأَخْبَرَهُ مُعَاذٌ بِالَّذِي صَنَعَ الْفَتَى فَقَالَ الْفَتَى يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ يُطِيلُ الْمُكْثَ عِنْدَكَ ثُمَّ يَرْجِعُ فَيُطِيلُ عَلَيْنَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَفَتَّانٌ أَنْتَ يَا مُعَاذُ؟ وَقَالَ للْفَتَى كَيْفَ تَصْنَعُ أَنْتَ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي إِذَا صَلَّيْتَ؟ قَالَ أَقْرَأُ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَأَسْأَلُ اللهَ الْجَنَّةَ وَأَعُوذُ بِهِ مِنَ النَّارِ وَأَنِّي لَا أَدْرِي مَا دَنْدَنَتُكَ وَدَنْدَنَةُ مُعَاذٍ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنِّي وَمُعَاذٌ حَوْلَ هَاتَيْنِ أَوْ نَحْوَ ذَا قَالَ فَقَالَ الْفَتَى وَلَكِنْ سَيَعْلَمُ مُعَاذٌ إِذَا قَدِمَ الْقَوْمُ وَقَدْ خُبِّرُوا أَنَّ الْعَدُوَّ قَدْ أَتَوْا قَالَ فَقَدِمُوا فَاسْتُشْهِدَ الْفَتَى فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ لِمُعَاذٍ مَا فَعَلَ خَصْمِي وَخَصْمُكَ؟ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ صَدَقَ اللهَ وَكَذَبْتُ اسْتُشْهِدَ  

[Machine] "He came to Mu'adh while he was leading his people in the Maghrib prayer. Upon hearing this news, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'O Mu'adh, do not be a cause of fitnah (trial) for he prays behind you, the elderly, the weak, those in need, and the traveler.' This is what he said, and the earlier narrations about Isha prayer are more correct. And Allah knows best."  

أَنَّهُ أَتَى مُعَاذًا وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي بِقَوْمِهِ صَلَاةَ الْمَغْرِبِ فِي هَذَا الْخَبَرِ قَالَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَا مُعَاذُ لَا تَكُنْ فَتَّانًا فَإِنَّهُ يُصَلِّي وَرَاءَكَ الْكَبِيرُ وَالضَّعِيفُ وَذُو الْحَاجَةِ وَالْمُسَافِرُ كَذَا قَالَ وَالرِّوَايَاتُ الْمُتَقَدِّمَةُ فِي الْعِشَاءِ أَصَحُّ وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ