4. The Book of Prayers

٤۔ كتاب الصلاة

4.37 The Command To The Imam To Make The Prayer Brief But Complete

٤۔٣٧ باب أَمْرِ الأَئِمَّةِ بِتَخْفِيفِ الصَّلاَةِ فِي تَمَامٍ

(267) bukhari:7159Muḥammad b. Muqātil > ʿAbdullāh > Ismāʿīl b. Abū Khālid > Qays b. Abū Ḥāzim > Abū Masʿūd al-Anṣārī

A man came to Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! By Allah, I fail to attend the morning congregational prayer because so-and-so (i.e., Muʿadh bin Jabal) prolongs the prayer when he leads us for it." I had never seen the Prophet ﷺ more furious in giving advice than he was on that day. He then said, "O people! some of you make others dislike (good deeds, i.e. prayers etc). So whoever among you leads the people in prayer, he should shorten it because among them there are the old, the weak and the busy (needy having some jobs to do). (See Hadith No. 90, Vol. 1)  

(٢٦٧) البخاري:٧١٥٩حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُقَاتِلٍ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي خَالِدٍ عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ أَبِي حَازِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الأَنْصَارِيِّ قَالَ

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لأَتَأَخَّرُ عَنْ صَلاَةِ الْغَدَاةِ مِنْ أَجْلِ فُلاَنٍ مِمَّا يُطِيلُ بِنَا فِيهَا قَالَ فَمَا رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَطُّ أَشَدَّ غَضَبًا فِي مَوْعِظَةٍ مِنْهُ يَوْمَئِذٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ مِنْكُمْ مُنَفِّرِينَ فَأَيُّكُمْ مَا صَلَّى بِالنَّاسِ فَلْيُوجِزْ فَإِنَّ فِيهِمُ الْكَبِيرَ وَالضَّعِيفَ وَذَا الْحَاجَةِ  

(268) bukhari:703ʿAbdullāh b. Yūsuf > Mālik > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If anyone of you leads the people in the prayer, he should shorten it for amongst them are the weak, the sick and the old; and if anyone among your prays alone then he may prolong (the prayer) as much as he wishes. "  

(٢٦٨) البخاري:٧٠٣حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ لِلنَّاسِ فَلْيُخَفِّفْ فَإِنَّ مِنْهُمُ الضَّعِيفَ وَالسَّقِيمَ وَالْكَبِيرَ وَإِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ لِنَفْسِهِ فَلْيُطَوِّلْ مَا شَاءَ  

(269) bukhari:706Abū Maʿmar > ʿAbd al-Wārith > ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz > Anas

The Prophet ﷺ used to pray a short prayer (in congregation) but used to offer it in a perfect manner.  

(٢٦٩) البخاري:٧٠٦حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مَعْمَرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُوجِزُ الصَّلاَةَ وَيُكْمِلُهَا  

(270) 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.  

(٢٧٠) 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  

(271) bukhari:709ʿAlī b. ʿAbdullāh > Yazīd b. Zurayʿ > Saʿīd > Qatādah > Anas b. Mālik

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."  

(٢٧١) البخاري:٧٠٩حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ أَنَّ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ حَدَّثَهُ

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