Should the imam pay attention to the weak such as the elderly and others in Taraweeh prayers?.


Praise be to Allaah.

This is something which is required in all prayers, in
Taraweeh and in the obligatory prayers, because the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever among you leads the people
in prayer, let him make it brief, because among them are the weak, the young
and those who have things they need to do.” So the imam should pay attention
to the congregation and be kind to them in the night prayers in Ramadaan and
in the last ten days. The people are not all the same; people vary. So he
should pay attention to their situations and encourage them to come and
attend the prayers. When he makes them too long he makes it difficult for
them and puts them off attending. So he should pay attention to that which
will encourage them to attend and make them want to come and pray, even if
that is by making it short and not lengthy. A prayer in which people are
able to focus and feel at ease, even if it is short, is better than a prayer
in which they do not focus properly and get bored. End quote.