Imagine a Masjid where the Imam pauses during Salah and the entire congregation waits so a toddler can finish his game. Imagine a Masjid where an Imam leads Salah while he holds a child in his arms. Imagine a Masjid where the cry of a baby changes the Imam’s intention and shortens the prayer for the entire congregation.This was the Masjid of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. These examples are mentioned in the following Hadith:
The Messenger of Allah came out to us for one of the two later prayers [Thuhr Asr], carrying Hasan or Hussein. The Prophet then came to the front and put him down,
said Takbir for the prayer and commenced praying. During the prayer, he performed a very long prostration, so I raised my head and there was the child, on the back of the Messenger of Allah,
who was in prostration. I then returned to my prostration. When the Messenger of Allah had offered the prayer, the people said: “O Messenger of Allah! In the middle of your prayer,
you performed prostration and lengthened it so much that we thought either something had happened or that you were receiving revelation!” He said: “Neither was the case.
Actually, my grandson made me his mount, and I did not want to hurry him until he had satisfied his wish” (Reported by Nasaa’i, Ibn Asaakir, and Haakim).
