Paying attention to the weak such as the elderly and others in Taraweeh prayers

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.