Hadith 548

Mishkat al-Masabih

Book 4: Prayer

Chapter 28

The Imam's duty - Section 1

باب ما على الإمام - الفصل الأول

Mishkat al-Masabih 1131
وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسلم: «إِذا صلى أحدكُم النَّاس فَلْيُخَفِّفْ فَإِنَّ فِيهِمُ السَّقِيمَ وَالضَّعِيفَ وَالْكَبِيرَ. وَإِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ لِنَفْسِهِ فَلْيُطَوِّلْ مَا شَاءَ»
Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When one of you leads the people in prayer he should be brief, for among them are the sick, the weak, and the aged. But when one of you prays by himself he may be as long as he likes.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)