The Prophet ﷺ used to shorten his prayer while wanting to lengthen it

The Prophet ﷺ said: “I stand in prayer intending to lengthen it, but then I hear a child crying, so I make my prayer brief, out of dislike for causing hardship to his mother.”

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: «إِنِّي لأَقُومُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُطَوِّلَ فِيهَا، فَأَسْمَعُ بُكَاءَ الصَّبِيِّ فَأَتَجَوَّزُ فِي صَلاَتِي كَرَاهِيَةَ أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمِّهِ».

I never prayed behind any Imam a prayer lighter and more perfect than that behind the Prophet ﷺ and he used to cut short the prayer whenever he heard the cries of a child lest he should put the child's mother to trial.

سَمِعْتُ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ يَقُولُ مَا صَلَّيْتُ وَرَاءَ إِمَامٍ قَطُّ أَخَفَّ صَلاَةً وَلاَ أَتَمَّ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَإِنْ كَانَ لَيَسْمَعُ بُكَاءَ الصَّبِيِّ فَيُخَفِّفُ مَخَافَةَ أَنْ تُفْتَنَ أُمُّهُ

The Prophet ﷺ said, "When I start the prayer I intend to prolong it, but on hearing the cries of a child, I cut short the prayer because I know that the cries of the child will incite its mother's passions."

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ إِنِّي لأَدْخُلُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ وَأَنَا أُرِيدُ إِطَالَتَهَا فَأَسْمَعُ بُكَاءَ الصَّبِيِّ فَأَتَجَوَّزُ فِي صَلاَتِي مِمَّا أَعْلَمُ مِنْ شِدَّةِ وَجْدِ أُمِّهِ مِنْ بُكَائِهِ

The Prophet, said, "Whenever I start the prayer I intend to prolong it, but on hearing the cries of a child, I cut short the prayer because I know that the cries of the child will incite its mother's passions."

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ إِنِّي لأَدْخُلُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَأُرِيدُ إِطَالَتَهَا فَأَسْمَعُ بُكَاءَ الصَّبِيِّ فَأَتَجَوَّزُ مِمَّا أَعْلَمُ مِنْ شِدَّةِ وَجْدِ أُمِّهِ مِنْ بُكَائِهِ وَقَالَ مُوسَى حَدَّثَنَا أَبَانُ حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسٌ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مِثْلَهُ