and he also forbade lengthening the recitation in it. This happened when Muʿādh ibn Jabal led his companions in the ʿIshāʾ prayer and made it so long that a man from the Anṣār broke away, prayed on his own, and left. When Muʿādh was informed of this, he said, “He is a hypocrite.” The report reached that man, so he went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and told him what Muʿādh had said. The Prophet ﷺ replied, “Muʿādh, do you want to become a trial for the people? When you lead them in prayer, recite: By the Sun and its Brightness (91: 15); Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High (77: 19); Recite in the Name of your Lord (96: 19); and By the Night when it Enshrouds (92: 21), [for those praying behind you include the elderly, the weak, and people with pressing needs].” (1)
This interpretation is further strengthened by the fact that we do not know of any report in which the Prophet ﷺ recited al-Tin wa-l-Zaytun (95) except the narration of al-Baraʾ, and now this report of Zurʿah.
(1) The practice in question is also related from a number of Companions, among them Jabir ibn ʿAbd Allah al-Ansari, who transmits it through several routes:
First route: al-Layth narrated from Abu al-Zubayr, from Jabir, that he said: “Muʿadh ibn Jabal al-Ansari led his people in the ʿIshaʾ prayer …” — and so forth. Recorded by Muslim (2:42), al-Nasai (1:155), Ibn Majah (1:276, 311), and al-Bayhaqi (2:392–93).
Second route: ʿAmr ibn Dinar reported: Jabir told us a similar account, stating that Muʿadh recited al-Baqarah, whereupon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ instructed him to recite two surahs from the middle section of the mufassal. ʿAmr added, “I do not remember which ones.” Recorded by al-Bukhari (2:155–56; 10:424), Muslim (2:41–42), al-Nasai (1:134), al-Darimi (1:297), and Ahmad (3:308, 369); through this chain it is also found in Abu Dawud.
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(1) Also cited in Irwaʾ al-Ghalil, no. 295.