I enter the prayer intending to lengthen it, then I hear the crying of an infant, so I shorten it, fearing that I might impose a burden upon his mother." We have already mentioned that (10).

Section: It is recommended to lengthen the first rak'ah of every prayer, so that the person arriving for the prayer may catch up with it. Al-Shafi'i said: The first two [rak'ahs] are equal (11), based on the hadith of Abu Sa'id: "We estimated the standing of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the first two rak'ahs of the Dhuhr [noon] prayer to be about thirty verses" (12). And because the last two are equal, the first two are likewise. Abu Hanifah agreed with us regarding the Fajr [dawn] prayer specifically (13), and he agreed with Al-Shafi'i in the rest (14) of the prayers. Our evidence is what Abu Qatadah narrated, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to recite in the first two rak'ahs of the Dhuhr prayer the Opening of the Book [Al-Fatiha] and two surahs, lengthening the first and shortening the second, and he would let the verse be heard occasionally. He would also recite in the first two rak'ahs of the 'Asr [afternoon] prayer the Opening of the Book and two surahs, lengthening the first and shortening the second, and he used to lengthen the first rak'ah of the Subh [dawn] prayer and shorten the second. [This is] agreed upon (15). Abu Dawud narrated this hadith, and in it he said: "So we thought that he (16) intended by that for the people to reach the first rak'ah."