The criterion for not prolonging the prayer

Q: What is the criterion for not prolonging the prayer? Some people complain about the length of the prayer.

A: The consideration is for the majority and the weak. If the majority prefer the prayer to be somewhat longer, and there are no weak people, sick people, or elderly among them who need to be considered, then there is no harm in that. However, if there are weak people among them, such as the sick or the elderly, the imam should look to their benefit. This is why the hadith of Uthman ibn Abi al-As came, in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: , and in the other hadith: as mentioned earlier. The point is that the weak are considered in terms of shortening the recitation, bowing, and prostration. If the congregation is roughly equal in strength, the majority is considered.