Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 236
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا الْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِذَا أَمَّ أَحَدُكُمُ النَّاسَ فَلْيُخَفِّفْ فَإِنَّ فِيهِمُ الصَّغِيرَ وَالْكَبِيرَ وَالضَّعِيفَ وَالْمَرِيضَ فَإِذَا صَلَّى وَحْدَهُ فَلْيُصَلِّ كَيْفَ شَاءَ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ عَدِيِّ بْنِ حَاتِمٍ وَأَنَسٍ وَجَابِرِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ وَمَالِكِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَبِي وَاقِدٍ وَعُثْمَانَ بْنِ أَبِي الْعَاصِ وَأَبِي مَسْعُودٍ وَجَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَحَدِيثُ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . وَهُوَ قَوْلُ أَكْثَرِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ اخْتَارُوا أَنْ لاَ يُطِيلَ الإِمَامُ الصَّلاَةَ مَخَافَةَ الْمَشَقَّةِ عَلَى الضَّعِيفِ وَالْكَبِيرِ وَالْمَرِيضِ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَأَبُو الزِّنَادِ اسْمُهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ ذَكْوَانَ . وَالأَعْرَجُ هُوَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ هُرْمُزَ الْمَدِينِيُّ وَيُكْنَى أَبَا دَاوُدَ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Qutaybah narrated to us: al-Mughirah ibn Abd al-Rahman narrated to us, from Abu al-Zinad, from al-Araj, from Abu Hurayrah, that the Prophet said: ‘When one of you leads the people in prayer, let him keep it brief, for among them are the young, the old, the weak, and the sick. When one of you prays alone, let him pray as he wishes.’
Reports on this subject are also related from Adi ibn Hatim, Anas, Jabir ibn Samurah, Malik ibn Abd Allah, Abu Waqid, Uthman ibn Abi al-As, Abu Masud, Jabir ibn Abd Allah, and Ibn Abbas. Abu Isa said: The hadith of Abu Hurayrah is hasan sahih. This is the view of most scholars: they preferred that the imam not prolong the prayer, for fear of hardship for the weak, the elderly, and the sick. Abu Isa said: Abu al-Zinad’s name was Abd Allah ibn Dhakwan. Al-Araj was Abd al-Rahman ibn Hurmuz al-Madani, whose teknonym was Abu Dawud.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The instruction to keep the congregational prayer brief is linked to the needs of vulnerable worshippers; solitary prayer is distinguished from leading others.