Whoever leads people in prayer should keep it light

Nafi' bin Sarjis narrates: We went to visit Sayyiduna Abu Waqid al-Kindi (may Allah be pleased with him) during the illness in which he passed away. He said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) offered the shortest prayer of all people when leading the people in prayer, and the longest prayer of all people when praying by himself.
In one narration the words are: We went to visit Sayyiduna Abu Waqid al-Badri (may Allah be pleased with him).
Ahmad and Abu Ya'la recorded it, and they gave the word "al-Laythi"; al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and gave the word "al-Bakri". Its narrators have been declared trustworthy.

Sayyiduna Malik bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I took part in a military expedition with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and I never prayed behind any imam whose prayer was briefer than that of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while completing the bowing and prostration.
Ahmad and al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led the shortest prayer of all.
Ahmad recorded it.

In a narration from him, these words are reported: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led the shortest, yet complete, prayer of all.
Its chain contains Ibn Lahi'ah, about whom there is criticism.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: One prostration of these people (i.e. the imams of the present time) is longer than three of the prostrations of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Ahmad and al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir recorded it, and its chain is hasan (good).

Abu Khalid al-Walibi narrates: I asked Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): "Is this how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to lead you in prayer?" Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "What part of my prayer did you find objectionable?" I said: "I only intended to ask you about it." He said: "Yes. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to lead an even shorter prayer." Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The standing of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to last as long as it takes the mu'adhdhin to come down from the minaret and join the row."
Ahmad recorded it.

In a narration from him, it is reported: I saw Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) lead a prayer in which he kept it brief.
Ahmad recorded it, and Abu Ya'la recorded the first narration; the narrators of both are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: We used to pray behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) a prayer such that, if one of you were to lead that kind of prayer today, you would find fault with him.
Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Adi bin Hatim (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Whoever leads us in prayer should complete the bowing and prostration, for among us are the weak, the elderly, the sick, the traveller and people with work to attend to. This is how we used to pray behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) was leading the people of his tribe in prayer. Meanwhile a man named Haram entered the mosque; he intended to water his date palms, and he came into the mosque to pray with the people. When he saw that Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) was lengthening the prayer, he offered a short prayer and went off to water his date palms. When Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) completed the prayer, he was told: "Sayyiduna Haram (may Allah be pleased with him) came into the mosque, and when he saw that you were lengthening the prayer, he offered a short prayer and went off to water his date orchard." Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "He is a hypocrite. Did he hurry through his prayer for the sake of watering date palms?" The narrator says: Sayyiduna Haram (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) was with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Sayyiduna Haram (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Prophet of Allah, I intended to water my date orchard. I entered the mosque to pray with the people, and when he lengthened the prayer, I offered a short prayer and went to my date orchard to water it. He claims that I am a hypocrite." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned to Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "Are you one who puts people to trial? Do not lead them in long prayers. Recite Surah al-A'la, Surah al-Shams and other surahs like them."
Ahmad and al-Bazzar recorded it, and the narrators of Ahmad are the narrators of the Sahih.

Mu'adh bin Rifa'ah reports about a man from Banu Salimah named Sulaym: He came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) comes to us after we have gone to sleep, since we have our work to do during the day. Then he calls to the prayer, and we come out to him, and he leads us in a long prayer." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Mu'adh bin Jabal, do not be one who puts people to trial. Either pray behind me, or keep the prayer light for your people." Then he said: "O Sulaym, how much of the Qur'an do you know?" He said: "I ask Allah Almighty for Paradise and seek His refuge from Hell. By Allah, I cannot supplicate as finely as you or as Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him)." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "What Mu'adh and I supplicate for is also nothing but this: we ask Allah Almighty for Paradise and seek refuge from Hell." Sayyiduna Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "You will see tomorrow, when the enemy is met; if Allah wills, the matter will become clear." The narrator says: In those days the people were preparing for the Battle of Uhud. He took part in that battle and was among those who were martyred.
Ahmad recorded it. The narrator Mu'adh bin Rifa'ah did not live in the time of this man from Banu Salimah, because that Companion was martyred at the Battle of Uhud, whereas Mu'adh bin Rifa'ah is a Tabi'i; and Allah knows best. The narrators of Ahmad are thiqat (trustworthy). Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir from Mu'adh bin Rifa'ah, that a man from Banu Salimah related this.

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: Sayyiduna Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) was leading the people of Quba in prayer, and he began reciting a long surah. A young man from the Ansar had joined him in the prayer. When he heard that he had begun a long surah, he left the prayer, for he had to get his camel ready to draw water with it. When Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) completed the prayer, the people told him: "So-and-so left the prayer and went away." Sayyiduna Ubayy became angry. He came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and complained to him about the young man. Then the young man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and complained to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) became angry, until signs of anger could be seen on his face. Then he said: "Among you are some who drive people away. When you lead the prayer, keep it short, for behind you are the weak, the elderly, the sick and people with work to attend to."
Abu Ya'la recorded it.

In a narration from him, the words are: When Sayyiduna Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) completed the prayer, he was told about this. The narrator says: Sayyiduna Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) realised that the young man would complain to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The young man complained about Sayyiduna Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Among you are some who drive people away. When you lead the prayer, keep it short." Here the narrator Abu Yahya was in doubt about one word. After this the narrator related the hadith as before.
Its chain contains Isa bin Jariyah, whom Yahya bin Ma'in and Abu Dawud declared da'if (weak), while Abu Zur'ah and Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) declared him thiqah (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: Hazm bin Abi Ka'b bin Abi al-Qayn passed by Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was leading his people in the Isha prayer, and he began reciting a long surah. Hazm had his camel with him. He stepped back and prayed by himself, and prayed well; then he went to his camel. Later he came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and told him about this. He said: "O Messenger of Allah, he is one of the righteous among his people." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Never be one who puts people to trial" (he said this three times), "for behind you stand the elderly, the weak, people with work to attend to, and the sick." (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: This narration is in the Sahih in abridged form.
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy.

Abu Malik al-Ashja'i reports that his father said: I never prayed behind anyone whose prayer was shorter, yet complete, than that of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: After the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), I never prayed behind anyone whose prayer was shorter, yet complete, than that of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Uthman bin Abi al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent me to the tribe of Thaqif, he said to me: "O Uthman, keep the prayer short, and lead the people in prayer according to the weakest among them, for among the people are the weak, those with work to attend to, pregnant women and nursing women."
(Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: This hadith is in the Sahih, except that these words are not in it: "the nursing and the pregnant women".
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy.

Ibrahim bin Yazid al-Taymi narrates: My father had stopped praying with us. I said to him: "Father, why have you stopped praying with us?" He said: "You keep the prayer short." I said: "Then what of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): 'Among you are the weak, the elderly and people with work to attend to'?" He said: "I heard Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) say that; yet despite that, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) used to remain in bowing and prostration three times as long as you do."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy.

Abu Malik al-Ashja'i reports that his father said: I have prayed behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), behind Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), behind Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), behind Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and behind Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), but none of them offered a shorter, yet complete, prayer than the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih; al-Bazzar recorded part of it.

Sayyiduna Adi bin Hatim (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Once he came out to the people's gathering. The prayer was established, and their imam stepped forward; during the prayer he prolonged the sitting. When he completed the prayer, Sayyiduna Adi bin Hatim (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Whoever among you leads us in prayer should complete the bowing and prostration, for behind him are the young and the old, the traveller, the sick and people with work to attend to." When the time of the (next) prayer came, Sayyiduna Adi bin Hatim (may Allah be pleased with him) stepped forward; he completed the bowing and prostrations, but kept the prayer short. When he had finished leading the prayer, he said: "This is how we used to pray behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir in full, and Ahmad recorded it in abridged form; that narration has already passed. The narrators of both hadiths are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Keep the prayer short, for behind you are the weak, the elderly and people with work to attend to."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: Two rak'ahs of the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) were shorter than one rak'ah of your prayer.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: (Once, while leading the prayer,) the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) heard the voice of a child, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) shortened the prayer.
Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Sometimes I hear the voice of a child while I am leading the prayer, and I shorten the prayer, fearing that his mother may be put to trial."
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in the Fajr prayer and recited two short surahs of the Qur'an. When he completed the prayer, he turned towards us and said: "I hurried only so that the child's mother could be free for her child." The narrator says: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had heard the (crying) voice of a child. (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: A hadith of Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) is in the Sahih (with these words): "Sometimes I hear a child crying, and I shorten the prayer."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains Abu al-Rabi' al-Samman, who is da'if (weak).