Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
bukhari:708Khālid b. Makhlad > Sulaymān b. Bilāl > Sharīk b. ʿAbdullāh > Anas b. Mālik

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.  

البخاري:٧٠٨حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ مَخْلَدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ بِلاَلٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شَرِيكُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

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  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān
ahmad:13523Abū Saʿīd a freed slave of Banī Hāshim > Sulaymān b. Bilāl > Sharīk / Ibn Abū Namir > Anas b. Mālik

[Machine] I have never prayed behind an Imam who performed the prayer more quietly than the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, nor have I seen anyone complete the prayer as perfectly as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Even though the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would hear the crying of a baby behind him, he would lessen the fear of it causing difficulty for its mother.  

أحمد:١٣٥٢٣حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ مَوْلَى بَنِي هَاشِمٍ حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ بِلَالٍ حَدَّثَنَا شَرِيكٌ يَعْنِي ابْنَ أَبِي نَمِرٍ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ

مَا صَلَّيْتُ وَرَاءَ إِمَامٍ قَطُّ أَخَفَّ صَلَاةً مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَلَا أَتَمَّ وَإِنْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَيَسْمَعُ بُكَاءَ الصَّبِيِّ وَرَاءَهُ فَيُخَفِّفُ مَخَافَةَ أَنْ يَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمِّهِ  

ahmad:13445ʿUbayd b. Abū Qurrah > Sulaymān b. Bilāl > Sharīk > Anas b. Mālik

[Machine] He heard Anas ibn Malik say, "I have never prayed behind an imam who rushed the prayer more than the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, nor one who performed it more perfectly. Even though the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would hear the crying of a baby, he would make his fear of his mother's distress disappear."  

أحمد:١٣٤٤٥حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ بْنُ أَبِي قُرَّةَ حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ بِلَالٍ عَنْ شَرِيكٍ

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ يَقُولُ مَا صَلَّيْتُ وَرَاءَ إِمَامٍ أَخَفَّصَلَاةً مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَلَا أَتَمَّ وَإِنْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَيَسْمَعُ بُكَاءَ الصَّبِيِّ فَيُخَفِّفُ مَخَافَةَ أَنْ تُفْتَتَنَ أُمُّهُ  

ذِكْرُ خَبَرٍ ثَانٍ قَدْ يُوهِمُ مَنْ لَمْ يُحْكِمْ صِنَاعَةَ الْعِلْمِ أَنَّهُ مُضَادٌّ لِلْخَبَرَيْنِ الْأَوَّلَيْنِ اللَّذَيْنِ ذَكَرْنَاهُمَا

ibnhibban:1886Abū Khalīfah > al-Qaʿnabī > ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz b. Muḥammad > Sharīk b. Abū Namir > Anas b. Mālik

[Machine] Narrated by Al-Qa'nabi, who said that Abdul Aziz ibn Muhammad reported from Shareek ibn Abi Namir that he heard Anas ibn Malik saying, "I have never prayed behind anyone who prayed more lightly than the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , nor more perfectly. Even though the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would hear the crying of a child behind him, he would lessen the fear that the child's mother might be caused to suffer."  

ابن حبّان:١٨٨٦أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو خَلِيفَةَ قَالَ

حَدَّثَنَا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ شَرِيكِ بْنِ أَبِي نَمِرٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ يَقُولُ «مَا صَلَّيْتُ وَرَاءَ أَحَدٍ قَطُّ أَخَفَّ صَلَاةً مِنْ صَلَاةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلَا أَتَمَّ وَإِنْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَسْمَعُ بُكَاءَ الصَّبِيِّ وَرَاءَهُ فَيُخَفِّفُ مَخَافَةَ أَنْ تُفْتَنَ أُمُّهُ»  

ذِكْرُ مَا يُسْتَحَبُّ لِلْإِمَامِ أَنْ تَكُونَ صَلَاتُهُ بِالْقَوْمِ خَفِيفَةً فِي تَمَامٍ

ibnhibban:2138Ibn Salm > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Ibrāhīm > al-Walīd > al-Awzāʿī > Isḥāq b. ʿAbdullāh b. Abū Ṭalḥah > Anas b. Mālik

[Machine] He heard Anas ibn Malik saying, "I have never prayed behind an imam who performs the prayer more perfectly and completely than the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ."  

ابن حبّان:٢١٣٨أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ سَلْمٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَوْزَاعِيُّ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ يَقُولُ «مَا صَلَّيْتُ خَلْفَ إِمَامٍ قَطُّ أَخَفَّ صَلَاةً وَلَا أَتَمَّ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ»