“When I begin the prayer I intend to length- en it, but if I hear an infant crying I shorten it because I know how hard his crying would be to his mother’s heart.”1
Anas ibn Maalik narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah, sallal- laahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, say:
“When I begin the prayer I intend to length- en it, but if I hear an infant crying I shorten it because I know how hard his crying would be to his mother’s heart.”1
An-Nawawi (a scholar) said: “The term: “how hard his crying would be to his mother’s heart” means that she would become sad and her heart would become preoccupied with the baby and his crying (and lose concentra- tion).”2