Since the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, commanded calmness when proceeding to the prayer and prohibited hastening—which means moving quickly—because proceeding to it is a means to the prayer, the prayer itself is all the more deserving that calmness be commanded and haste prohibited within it.
It is therefore known, all the more so, that one who bows and prostrates is commanded to be calm and prohibited from rushing. This is especially so because the Prophet commanded calmness after one hears the iqāma (the call to begin the prayer), which obliges one to proceed to it, and forbade one to be distracted from it by performing a voluntary prayer. Even if proceeding calmly meant missing part of the prayer, he commanded one to remain calm and to pray alone what one had missed after the imam concludes with the salām. He gave this precedence over hastening to the prayer. This indicates how emphatically hastening to it is prohibited—how much more so hastening within it!
This is made clear by what Abū Dāwūd narrated from Abū Thumāma al-Hannāt, from Kaʿb ibn ʿUjra, who said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “When one of you performs ablution and performs it well, then sets out intending to go to the mosque, he must not interlace his fingers, for he is in prayer.” Thus, while walking to the prayer, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade him what he had forbidden during the prayer in the way of speech and action done purely for its own sake. What, then, should be the conduct of the worshipper himself with regard to such walking and other actions? If a person is prohibited from moving swiftly and hastily while walking, and is commanded to remain calm even if he misses part of the prayer with the imam and must make it up afterward, then he is all the more deserving of being commanded to remain calm within the prayer itself.
This is also indicated by the fact that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has commanded calmness and moderation in movement and walking in general. He said: “Be moderate in your pace and lower your voice” [Luqmān: 19] [Luqmān: 19]. And He, Exalted is He, said: