ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Suhayb, from Anas ibn Mālik, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

“The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, kept the prayer brief yet complete.” In another wording: “He kept the prayer brief and performed it fully.”

They also narrated from Qatādah, from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“I begin the prayer intending to make it long, but then I hear a child crying and shorten my prayer, knowing how deeply his crying distresses his mother.”

Muslim related it through Thābit, from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

“When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, heard a child crying while accompanying his mother during the prayer, he would recite a brief surah—or a short surah.”

Muslim also narrated that Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

“I have never prayed behind anyone whose prayer was briefer or more complete than that of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The different parts of his prayer were proportionate in length, as were those of Abū Bakr’s prayer. When ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with him, took over, he lengthened the dawn prayer.”

Qatādah also narrated from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him:

“The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was among those whose prayers were lightest while remaining complete.”

Thus, when Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “I have never prayed behind an imam whose prayer was lighter or more complete than that of the Messenger of Allah,” he meant that he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, offered the lightest