Is it authentically reported from the Prophet, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, that he would shorten the standing and lengthen the bowing and prostration in daytime prayers? And is the Hadith of Imran ibn Husayn: "This reminded me of the prayer of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, and the prayer of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, was moderate; he would shorten the standing and sitting and lengthen the bowing and prostration," sound in its chain of narration?

The questioner conflated two prayer accounts: the prayer of Imran ibn Husayn behind Ali (may Allah be pleased with them both), which does not contain the phrase "he would shorten the standing," and the account of Anas ibn Malik behind Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, which states that Umar would complete the bowing and prostration but shorten the standing and sitting. Shortening the standing in prayer and completing the bowing and prostration has been mentioned in several hadiths from the Prophet (peace be upon him), but the intent is not for the standing to be shorter than the bowing and prostration. Rather, it is to be brief so as not to burden the congregants. The Prophet's (peace be upon him) practice was to lengthen the standing and the sitting for the tashahhud (definition) more than other postures, while all were relatively close in length. The Prophet's (peace be upon him) shortening of the standing would occur when he was leading the congregational prayer, not in every prayer. If he prayed by himself, he could prolong it as much as he wished, for he was the lightest in prayer for the people, and the longest in prayer for himself.