328 – Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “Muʿādh led his people in the ʿIshāʾ prayer and made it excessively long. The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Muʿādh, do you wish to be a cause of temptation? When you lead the people, recite: “By the sun and its morning brightness,” “Glorify the Name of your Lord Most High,” “Recite in the name of your Lord,” and “By the night when it enshrouds.”’ ” Agreed upon; this wording is Muslim’s (1).

Vocabulary of the ḥadīth
• fattan: an emphatic form meaning “one who causes people to turn from their religion” by making worship too burdensome.
• aturīd: the interrogative hamzah expresses censure—“Do you intend to drive people away?”
• idhā amamta al-nās: “when you act as their imam in prayer.”

Points derived from the ḥadīth

1. It is permissible for someone praying a voluntary prayer to lead those performing an obligatory one; Muʿādh’s first prayer was obligatory, whereas the prayer he led for his people was supererogatory.
2. The imam should be chosen from among those who possess virtue, piety, and knowledge. Muʿādh would travel from Madinah to their outlying district to lead them, and they were pleased with this, knowing his excellence; the Prophet ﷺ affirmed their practice.
3. The imam must not overburden the congregation by lengthening the prayer. Among them are the elderly, the weak, and those with pressing needs who cannot endure a protracted service.
4. Al-Ḥāfiẓ said: Whoever follows the Prophet’s ﷺ way of combining brevity with completeness will give no one cause for complaint.