Explanation of the Book of the Adhan-08a

The reader: And Muhammad ibn Bashar narrated to me, saying: Ghandar narrated to us, saying: Shu'bah narrated to us from Amr, saying: I heard Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah say: Mu'adh ibn Jabal used to pray with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then he would return and lead his people in prayer. So he prayed 'Isha' and recited Surat al-Baqarah. A man left, and it seemed as if Mu'adh took offense at him. This reached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said: Amr said: I do not remember them.

The Shaykh : In this chapter, al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) explains that if the imam prolongs the prayer and the ma'mum has a need, there is no harm in him leaving. He cited as evidence the hadith of Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him), that he used to pray with the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and then return to his people to pray with them. One day he prayed 'Isha' and began by reciting Surat al-Baqarah. A man left his prayer without saying the taslim, prayed alone, and went to his family. It seemed as if Mu'adh took offense at him, meaning he cursed him for how he left before his imam left. This reached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said to him: meaning you are a tempter. The word "fatan" here is an intensive form of "fitnah," meaning to turn others away from the religion of Allah, like His saying: meaning they turned them away from their religion. The reason the imam is considered a tempter if he prolongs is that it makes people dislike congregational prayer and they do not strive for it. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to recite two surahs from the middle of the Musaffal, or from the middle of the Musaffal. The Musaffal has long, short, and middle surahs. Its beginning from Qaf to 'Amma are the long surahs of the Musaffal, from 'Amma to al-Duha are the middle surahs of the Musaffal, and from al-Duha to the end of the Qur'an are the short surahs. It is called the Musaffal because of the abundance of its endings due to the shortness of its surahs.