The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in prayer and recited in the first two rak'ahs of the noon and afternoon prayers Surat al-Fitiha and two (other) surahs. And he would sometimes recite loud enough for us the verses. He would prolong the first rak'ah more than the second. And he acted similarly in the morning prayer.  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي بِنَا فَيَقْرَأُ فِي الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَسُورَتَيْنِ وَيُسْمِعُنَا الآيَةَ أَحْيَانًا وَكَانَ يُطَوِّلُ الرَّكْعَةَ الأُولَى مِنَ الظُّهْرِ وَيُقَصِّرُ الثَّانِيَةَ وَكَذَلِكَ فِي الصُّبْحِ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would recite in the first two rak'ahs of the noon and afternoon prayers the opening chapter of the Book and another surah. He would sometimes recite loud enough to make audible to us the verse and would recite in the last two rak'ahs Surat al-Faitiha (only).  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ يَقْرَأُ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ مِنَ الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَسُورَةٍ وَيُسْمِعُنَا الآيَةَ أَحْيَانًا وَيَقْرَأُ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُخْرَيَيْنِ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ  

We used to estimate how long Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood in the noon and afternoon prayers, and we estimated hat he stood in the first two rak'ahs of the noon prayer as long as it takes to recite Alif Lam Mim, Tanzil, i. e. as-Sajda. We estimated that he stood half that time in the last two rak'ahs; that he stood in the first two of the afternoon as long as he did in the last two at noon; and in the last two of the afternoon prayer about half that time. Abu Bakr in his narration has made no mention of Alif Lam Mim, Tanzil, but said: As long as it takes to recite thirty verses.  

كُنَّا نَحْزِرُ قِيَامَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ فَحَزَرْنَا قِيَامَهُ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ مِنَ الظُّهْرِ قَدْرَ قِرَاءَةِ الم تَنْزِيلُ السَّجْدَةِ وَحَزَرْنَا قِيَامَهُ فِي الأُخْرَيَيْنِ قَدْرَ النِّصْفِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَحَزَرْنَا قِيَامَهُ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ مِنَ الْعَصْرِ عَلَى قَدْرِ قِيَامِهِ فِي الأُخْرَيَيْنِ مِنَ الظُّهْرِ وَفِي الأُخْرَيَيْنِ مِنَ الْعَصْرِ عَلَى النِّصْفِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فِي رِوَايَتِهِ الم تَنْزِيلُ وَقَالَ قَدْرَ ثَلاَثِينَ آيَةً  

The Apostle of Allah ﷺ used to recite in every rak'ah of the first two rak'ahs of the noon prayer about thirty verses and in the last two about fifteen verses or half (of the first rak'ah) and in every rak'ah of the 'Asr prayer of the first two rak'ahs about fifteen verses and in the last two verses half (of the first ones).  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ يَقْرَأُ فِي صَلاَةِ الظُّهْرِ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ قَدْرَ ثَلاَثِينَ آيَةً وَفِي الأُخْرَيَيْنِ قَدْرَ خَمْسَ عَشَرَةَ آيَةً أَوْ قَالَ نِصْفَ ذَلِكَ وَفِي الْعَصْرِ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ قَدْرَ قِرَاءَةِ خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ آيَةً وَفِي الأُخْرَيَيْنِ قَدْرَ نِصْفِ ذَلِكَ  

The people of Kufa complained to Umar b. Khattab about Sa'd and they made a mention of his prayer. 'Umar sent for him. He came to him. He ('Umar) told him that the people had found fault with his prayer. He said: I lead them in prayer in accorance with the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I make no decrease in it. I make them stand for a longer time in the first two (rak'ahs) and shorten it in the last two. Upon this 'Umar remarked: This is what I deemed of thee, O Abu Ishaq.  

إِنِّي لأُصَلِّي بِهِمْ صَلاَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَا أَخْرِمُ عَنْهَا إِنِّي لأَرْكُدُ بِهِمْ فِي الأُولَيَيْنِ وَأَحْذِفُ فِي الأُخْرَيَيْنِ فَقَالَ ذَاكَ الظَّنُّ بِكَ أَبَا إِسْحَاقَ  

This hadith his been narrated by 'Abu al-Malik with the same chain of transmitters.  

عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ  

'Umar said to Sa'd: They complain against you in every matter, even in prayer. He (Sa'd) said: I prolong (standing) in the first two (rak'ahs) and shorten it in the last two, and I make no negligence in following the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He ('Umar) remarked: This is what is expected of you, or, that is what I deemed of you.  

عُمَرُ لِسَعْدٍ قَدْ شَكَوْكَ فِي كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَتَّى فِي الصَّلاَةِ قَالَ أَمَّا أَنَا فَأَمُدُّ فِي الأُولَيَيْنِ وَأَحْذِفُ فِي الأُخْرَيَيْنِ وَمَا آلُو مَا اقْتَدَيْتُ بِهِ مِنْ صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ ذَاكَ الظَّنُّ بِكَ أَوْ ذَاكَ ظَنِّي بِكَ  

" (Sa'd said): These bedouins presume to teach me prayer."  

تُعَلِّمُنِي الأَعْرَابُ بِالصَّلاَةِ  

The noon prayer would start and one would go to al-Baqi' and after having relieved himself he would perform ablution and then come, while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would be in the first rak'ah, because he would prolong it so much.  

لَقَدْ كَانَتْ صَلاَةُ الظُّهْرِ تُقَامُ فَيَذْهَبُ الذَّاهِبُ إِلَى الْبَقِيعِ فَيَقْضِي حَاجَتَهُ ثُمَّ يَتَوَضَّأُ ثُمَّ يَأْتِي وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الأُولَى مِمَّا يُطَوِّلُهَا  

I came to Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and he was surrounded by people. When the people departed from him I said: I am not going to ask you what these people have been asking you. I want to ask you about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He (Abu Sa'id) said: There is no good for you in this. He (Qaz'a), however, repeated (his demand). He then said: The noon prayer would start and one of us would go to Baqi' and, having relieved himself, would come to his home, then perform ablution and go to the mosque, and (he would find) The Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the first rak'ah.  

أَتَيْتُ أَبَا سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيَّ وَهُوَ مَكْثُورٌ عَلَيْهِ فَلَمَّا تَفَرَّقَ النَّاسُ عَنْهُ قُلْتُ إِنِّي لاَ أَسْأَلُكَ عَمَّا يَسْأَلُكَ هَؤُلاَءِ عَنْهُ قُلْتُ أَسْأَلُكَ عَنْ صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ مَا لَكَ فِي ذَاكَ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَأَعَادَهَا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ كَانَتْ صَلاَةُ الظُّهْرِ تُقَامُ فَيَنْطَلِقُ أَحَدُنَا إِلَى الْبَقِيعِ فَيَقْضِي حَاجَتَهُ ثُمَّ يَأْتِي أَهْلَهُ فَيَتَوَضَّأُ ثُمَّ يَرْجِعُ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الأُولَى