Hadith #20

IslamWiki Explanation — IslamWiki Scholarly Team

The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Prolonging the prayer and shortening the sermon is a sign of a man's understanding of religion.' This hadith establishes a direct link between knowledge of Islam and the behavior of a prayer leader: long prayers, concise sermons. Ibn Uthaymin explains the rationale: prayer is direct worship of Allah and its length benefits the praying person spiritually — prolonging it is thus praiseworthy. A sermon, however, is communication intended to instruct others; a long sermon can tire the congregation and reduce its impact. The wise scholar knows that a concise, impactful khutbah is more effective than a lengthy one. Ibn Allan adds that the Prophet ﷺ identified this as 'fiqh' (understanding), meaning it reflects deep comprehension of Islamic purpose — worship for its own sake maximized, teaching optimized for the audience. This hadith is frequently referenced in discussions about khutbah length.