It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) once performed the Fajr prayer in a shortened manner. (When he finished,) someone said: O Messenger of Allah! Why did you shorten the prayer so much today? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: I heard the sound of a child crying, and I thought that his mother might be praying with us, so I wanted to finish quickly for the sake of the child’s mother.