Hadith 714

Mishkat al-Masabih

Book 4: Prayer

Chapter 38

Night prayers during Ramadan - Section 1

باب قيام شهر رمضان - الفصل الأول

Mishkat al-Masabih 1303
وَعَن الْأَعْرَج قَالَ: مَا أَدْرَكْنَا النَّاسَ إِلَّا وَهُمْ يَلْعَنُونَ الْكَفَرَةَ فِي رَمَضَانَ قَالَ: وَكَانَ الْقَارِئُ يَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ الْبَقَرَةِ فِي ثَمَانِ رَكَعَاتٍ وَإِذَا قَامَ بِهَا فِي ثِنْتَيْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً رَأَى النَّاسُ أَنه قد خفف. رَوَاهُ مَالك
Al-A‘raj said:

I never came upon the people without hearing them cursing the infidels during Ramadan. The reader recited sura al-Baqara (Al-Qur’an; 2) in the course of eight rak'as, and when he made it serve for twelve rak'as the people thought he had shortened the prayer. Malik transmitted it.