Recitation in prayer and the reason for keeping it light

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) found a man absent (from his gathering or the prayer), (he would inquire about his well-being). Then the narrator related the full hadith, in which it is stated that the man said: "O Messenger of Allah, I passed by you while you were leading the Maghrib prayer, so I prayed with you, and at that time you were reciting Surah al-Qari'ah (The Striking Calamity) [Surah al-Qari'ah: 1-11]."
Imam Abu Ya'la recorded it in his Musnad. Its chain contains a narrator named Abbad bin Kathir, who is matruk (abandoned) and da'if (weak), and because of him the chain of this narration is technically very weak.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Uthman bin Abi al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) set for me this standard and rule (for recitation in the prayers): that I should recite Surah 'Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High' [Surah al-A'la: 1] and other (short Mufassal) surahs of the Qur'an like it."
The chain of this hadith is jayyid (good), and Imam Abu Bakr bin Abi Shaybah (may Allah have mercy on him) recorded it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that "the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite (other surahs along with Surah al-Fatihah) in all four rak'ahs of Zuhr and Asr."
The chain of this hadith contains the narrators Layth bin Abi Sulaym and Shahr bin Hawshab, who are not free of criticism in scholarly terms; however, that recitation in all the rak'ahs of Zuhr and Asr is sunnah is also established by other authentic hadith.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "Whoever recites only Surah al-Fatihah in an obligatory prayer, it will suffice him; and if he recites some further part of the Qur'an along with it, that is more beloved to me."
The chain of this statement is sahih (authentic), and it is a mawquf narration (a Companion's statement) which Imam Bukhari recorded in 'Juz' al-Qira'ah Khalf al-Imam'.

Hanzalah al-Sadusi said: I said to Ikrimah (may Allah have mercy on him): "Sometimes I recite 'Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the daybreak' [Surah al-Falaq: 1] and 'Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind' [Surah al-Nas: 1] in the Maghrib prayer, but some people blame me for it?" He said (expressing surprise): "'Subhan Allah' (Glory be to Allah)! Do recite these two surahs, for indeed both of them are part of the Qur'an."
The chain of this report is hasan (good).

It is narrated from Hayyan al-Bariqi that it was said to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), or a man said to him: "I pray behind so-and-so, and he makes the prayer excessively long." Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) replied: "Indeed, two rak'ahs of the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) were lighter and shorter than a single rak'ah of that so-and-so," or (the narrator is unsure whether he said): "they (the two rak'ahs) were like the whole prayer of so-and-so," or "they were like a single rak'ah of so-and-so."
Imam Abu Dawud recorded this hadith, and this narration is sahih (authentic) in its chain.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led the Companions in the Fajr prayer and recited in it the two shortest surahs of the Qur'an, or (according to the narrator's doubt) led the prayer with the utmost brevity. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) had finished the prayer, Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri or Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "O Messenger of Allah, I saw you lead such a short prayer as I have never before seen you lead." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Did you not hear the crying of the child from the women's rows behind me? I wanted to lighten the prayer so as to free his mother quickly to look after her child."
Imam Abd bin Humayd said: Abu Nu'aym narrated to us; Sufyan narrated to him, and Abu Harun narrated to him; he said: I heard Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) say: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in prayer; then he mentioned the like of the hadith above.

It is narrated from Abd al-Aziz (the father of Sukayn) that he said: I came to Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) and requested: "Tell me about the manner of the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." So he led the members of his household (for the sake of teaching) and led us in the Zuhr and Asr prayers. In these prayers he recited in a very low, whispering voice, and he recited Surah 'By those sent forth in succession' [Surah al-Mursalat: 1], Surah 'By those who pull out violently' [Surah al-Nazi'at: 1], Surah 'About what are they asking one another?' [Surah al-Naba': 1], and other surahs like them.
Imam Abu Ya'la recorded it in his Musnad. All the men of its chain are thiqat (trustworthy) except Sukayn bin Abd al-Aziz, about whom there is criticism; however, overall the narration is of the hasan (good) grade.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that "the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) recited Surah 'Ha Mim' [Surah al-Dukhan: 1] in the Maghrib prayer, that is, the surah in which the smoke (dukhan) is mentioned."
Imam Ibn Abi Umar al-Adani recorded this narration in his Musnad. In scholarly terms there is a break (inqita') in its chain, because Mu'awiyah bin Abdullah is not established to have heard directly from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Yazid (may Allah be pleased with him) that "the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited Surah 'By the fig and the olive' [Surah al-Tin: 1] in the Maghrib prayer."
Imam Abu Bakr bin Abi Shaybah, through Waki', and Abd bin Humayd, through Abu Nu'aym, narrated this hadith from Isra'il with the same chain as before.