Sayyiduna Imran bin Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: A man recited (something) behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in perhaps the Zuhr or Asr prayer—this doubt is from the narrator named Abu ‘Awanah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: Which one of you recited Surah Al-A‘la? One of those present replied: I did. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I had realized that one of you was causing an interruption for me in the recitation.

Sayyiduna Imran bin Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the Zuhr prayer, and a person behind him began reciting Surah Al-A'la. When the Prophet finished the prayer, he inquired: Who among you was reciting? Or perhaps he said: Who among you is the reciter? A person replied: It was me, O Messenger of Allah! The Prophet said: I had realized that one of you was creating an obstacle for me.

Sayyiduna Ubadah bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in the morning prayer. Recitation became difficult for him. When he completed the prayer, he inquired: I think you recite behind your Imam. The narrator states: We said: Yes! By Allah! O Messenger of Allah! We recite quickly. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do not do so. Only recite Surah Al-Fatihah, for the prayer of the one who does not recite it is not valid. (Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) The statement of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), "Do not do so," these words are of prohibition. By this is meant to issue a new command initially, because in their idiom, when the Arabs intend to emphasize a command, they first mention words of prohibition and then after that comes the command which they intend.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, finished the prayer in which he had recited aloud. Then he inquired, "Has anyone among you just recited (Qur'an)?" A man replied, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah! I have." The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "I was also wondering what was the reason, as if someone was contending with me in the recitation of the Qur'an." After that, people stopped reciting (aloud) in those prayers in which the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, used to recite aloud, when they heard this from the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, himself. (Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) The name of Ibn Akimah is Amr bin Muslim bin Ammar bin Akimah. They are two brothers: Amr bin Muslim and Umar bin Muslim. As for Amr bin Muslim, he is a Tabi'i; he heard (hadith) from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, and Zuhri heard from him. As for Umar bin Muslim, he is a Tabi' Tabi'i. He heard from Sa'id bin Musayyib, and from him Imam Malik and Muhammad bin Amr narrated traditions. Both of them are "trustworthy."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) led a prayer in which he recited aloud. Some people recited (Qur'an) behind him in his congregation. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) finished the prayer with salam, he inquired: Has any one of you recited (Qur'an)? The people replied: Yes, O Messenger of Allah! The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I was also wondering what was the reason, (that in the recitation of the Qur'an) there was competition with me. The narrator says: They took admonition from this, and (after that, in his congregation) people would not recite (behind him).

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in prayer. He recited aloud. When he finished the prayer with salam, he asked, "Has anyone among you recited along with me?" The people replied, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah!" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "I was also wondering what was the reason that there was competition with me in the recitation of the Qur'an." Zuhri narrates: The Muslims refrained from this, and they would not recite while following him (the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him). Imam Abu Hatim states: This narration is famous as being transmitted from Zuhri, which his companions have narrated from Ibn Akimah from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him). In this, Imam Awza'i made a mistake, because even a horse may stumble. He said: This is narrated from Zuhri from Sa'id bin al-Musayyib. Walid bin Muslim knew that he (Awza'i) had made a mistake, so he said: This is narrated from the person who heard it from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him). He did not mention Sa'id. As for Zuhri's statement that people refrained from reciting, it means that they did not recite aloud behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), following his prohibition. When the Imam is reciting aloud, this is mentioned in the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "What is the reason that there is dispute with me in the recitation of the Qur'an?"

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) led his companions in prayer. When he completed the prayer, he turned towards the people and asked: "Do you recite (Qur'an) behind the Imam while the Imam is reciting?" The people remained silent. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) repeated this three times, then one person said (or perhaps the people said): "Yes, we do so." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not do so. Each of you should recite Surah Al-Fatihah in his heart." (Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) Abu Qilabah heard this narration from Muhammad bin Abu Aishah, who narrated it from a companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he also heard this narration from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), so both chains are preserved.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: In every prayer there is recitation. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would recite aloud in those prayers in which he made us hear, we make you hear; and in those prayers in which he kept it hidden from us, we keep it hidden from you.

Qaza’ah narrates: I asked Sayyiduna Abu Sa’id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) about the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), so he said: There is no good in it for you. The iqamah for the prayer would be pronounced for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then one of us would go to Baqi’ (the field) to relieve himself. Then he would return, perform ablution, and catch the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the first rak’ah of the Zuhr prayer.

Sayyiduna Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform the first two rak‘ahs of Fajr and Dhuhr prayers at length. The narrator states: We think that he did this so that people could join (the congregational prayer).