Hadith 1598
عَنْ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّي بِنَا فَيَقْرَأُ فِي الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الْأُولَيَيْنِ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَسُورَتَيْنِ وَيُسْمِعُنَا الْآيَةَ أَحْيَانًا (زَادَ فِي رِوَايَةٍ وَيَقْرَأُ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الْأُخْرَيَيْنِ بِأُمِّ الْكِتَابِ) وَكَانَ يُطَوِّلُ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الْأُولَى مِنَ الظُّهْرِ وَيُقَصِّرُ فِي الثَّانِيَةِ وَكَذَا فِي الصُّبْحِ
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him), he says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to lead us in prayer, and in the first two rak‘ahs of Zuhr and ‘Asr, he would recite Surah Al-Fatihah and two additional surahs, and sometimes he would let us hear a verse. In another narration, it is mentioned: In the latter two rak‘ahs, he would recite only Surah Al-Fatihah, and in the first rak‘ah of Zuhr, he would lengthen the recitation, and in the second, he would shorten it, and he would do the same in the Fajr prayer.
Hadith 1599
عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُومُ فِي الظُّهْرِ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الْأُوْلَيَيْنِ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ قَدْرَ قِرَاءَةِ ثَلَاثِينَ آيَةً وَفِي الْأُخْرَيَيْنِ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ قَدْرَ قِرَاءَةِ خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ آيَةً وَكَانَ يَقُومُ فِي الْعَصْرِ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الْأُوْلَيَيْنِ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ قَدْرَ قِرَاءَةِ خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ آيَةً، وَفِي الْأُخْرَيَيْنِ قَدْرَ نِصْفِ ذَلِكَ
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, who says: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to recite in each of the first two rak'ahs of Zuhr about thirty verses, and in each of the last two rak'ahs about fifteen verses. And in each of the first two rak'ahs of 'Asr, he would recite about fifteen verses, and in the last two rak'ahs, about half of that.
Hadith 1600
وَعَنْهُ أَيْضًا قَالَ: أَمَرَنَا نَبِيُّنَا صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ نَقْرَأَ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَمَا تَيَسَّرَ
It is also narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded us to recite Surah Al-Fatihah and whatever else is easy.
Hadith 1601
عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: شَكَا أَهْلُ الْكُوفَةِ سَعْدًا (يَعْنِي ابْنَ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ) إِلَى عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَقَالُوا: لَا يُحْسِنُ يُصَلِّي، قَالَ: فَسَأَلَهُ عُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، فَقَالَ: إِنِّي أُصَلِّي بِهِمْ صَلَاةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَرْكُدُ فِي الْأُولَيَيْنِ، وَأَحْذِفُ فِي الْأُخْرَيَيْنِ، قَالَ: ذَلِكَ الظَّنُّ بِكَ يَا أَبَا إِسْحَاقَ
Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah رضي الله عنه reports that the people of Kufa complained about Sayyiduna Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas رضي الله عنه to Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه, saying: “He does not lead the prayer well.” When Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه asked him, he replied: “I lead them in prayer just as the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم used to pray. In the first two rak’ahs, I make the standing (qiyam) long, and in the last two, I shorten it.” Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه said: “Abu Ishaq! That is what I thought of you.”
Hadith 1602
(وَعَنْهُ مِنْ طَرِيقٍ ثَانٍ) قَالَ: قَالَ عُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ لِسَعْدٍ: شَكَاكَ النَّاسُ فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَتَّى فِي الصَّلَاةِ، قَالَ: أَمَّا أَنَا فَأُمُدُّ مِنَ الْأُوْلَيَيْنِ وَأَحْذِفُ مِنَ الْأُخْرَيَيْنِ وَلَا آلُو مَا اقْتَدَيْتُ بِهِ مِنْ صَلَاةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ عُمَرُ: ذَاكَ الظَّنُّ بِكَ أَوْ ظَنَنْتُ بِكَ
(Second chain) Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked Sayyiduna Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him): People have complained about you regarding everything, even about the prayer. (What is the reality?) He said: I lengthen the first two rak’ahs and shorten the last two, and I do not fall short in following the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Upon hearing this, he said: This is exactly what I thought of you.