He went out to their gathering, and the prayer was called. Their imam stepped forward and prolonged the prayer and the sitting. When he finished, he said, "Whoever among you leads us in prayer should complete the bowing and prostration, for behind him stand the young, the old, the sick, the traveler, and those with pressing needs."When the next prayer time came, Adi stepped forward, completed the bowing and prostration, and kept the prayer brief. When he finished, he said, "This is how we used to pray behind the Prophet ﷺ."
أنه خرج إلى مجلسهم، فأقيمت الصلاة، فتقدم إمامهم فأطال الصلاة والجلوس، فلما انصرف، قال: من أمنا منكم، فليتم الركوع والسجود، فإن خلفه الصغير والكبير، والمريض، وابن السبيل، وذا الحاجة، فلما حضرت الصلاة تقدم عدي، وأتم الركوع والسجود، وتجوز في الصلاة، ولما انصرف، قال: هكذا كنا نصلي خلف النبي ﷺ.
Narrated by Ahmad (18261), Tabarani (17/93–94), and Ibn Abu Asim in Al-Ahad wal-Mathani (2489), all of them through various routes from Yahya bin Walid bin Musayyar Tai, who said, "Muhil Tai told me, from Adi bin Hatim," and he mentioned it. The wording given here is that of Tabarani, while Ahmad's wording is abridged. Its chain of transmission is sahih.Haythami said in Al-Majma (2/73), "Ahmad narrated it, and its narrators are trustworthy." He also said, "Tabarani narrated it in full in Al-Kabir, and Imam Ahmad has it in abridged form, and the narrators of both versions are trustworthy."