Abu Qatada reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When I begin the prayer. I intend to make it long, but I hear a boy crying and shorten my prayer, being aware of his mother’s emotion because of his crying.”
I never prayed behind an imam, who was more brief or more perfect in his prayer than the Prophet. If he heard a boy crying he would shorten the prayer for fear his mother might be distressed.
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.”
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “There are three whose prayer is not raised a span above their heads:
a man who acts as imam for people when they do not like him, a woman with whom her husband is displeased throughout the night, and two brothers* who are disunited.”
* The word here is most probably used in the widest sense, meaning two Muslims.
