I prayed with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) one night and he started reciting Sūrat al-Baqarah
Authentic hadithعن حذيفة بن اليمان رضي الله عنهما قال: صليت مع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ذات ليلة فَافْتَتَحَ البقرة، فقلت: يركع عند المئة، ثم مضى، فقلت: يصلي بها في ركعة فمضى، فقلت: يركع بها، ثم افتتح النساء فقرأها، ثم افتتح آل عمران فقرأها، يقرأ مُتَرَسِّلًا: إذا مَر بآية فيها تَسبِيحٌ سَبَّحَ، وإذا مَر بسؤال سَأل، وإذا مَر بِتَعَوُّذٍ تَعَوَّذَ، ثم ركع، فجعل يقول: «سبحان ربي العظيم» فكان ركوعه نحوًا من قِيَامِهِ، ثم قال: «سمع الله لمن حمده، ربنا لك الحمد» ثم قام طويلًا قريبا مما ركع، ثم سجد، فقال: «سبحان ربي الأعلى» فكان سجوده قريبًا من قيامه.
Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamān (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I prayed with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) once at night and he started reciting Sūrat al-Baqarah. I thought that he would bow in Rukū‘ at the end of one hundred verses, but he continued. I thought that he would probably recite it (this Sūrah only) in one Rak‘ah, but he continued. I thought he would perhaps bow in Rukū‘ on completing (this Sūrah). He then started reciting Sūrat An-Nisā’ and read it all, then he started reciting Sūrat Āl-‘Imrān and read it all. He recited slowly; when he came across a verse of Tasbīh (glorifying Allah), he would glorify Him, and when he came come across a verse of requesting Allah (something), he would request it from Him, and when he came across a verse of seeking refuge (with Allah), he would seek refuge (with Him). Then he bowed in Rukū‘ and said: "Glory be to our Lord, the Most Great". His bowing lasted about the same length of time as his standing. Upon rising from Rukū‘, he said: "Allah listens to he who praises Him; praise be to You, Our Lord!" He then remained standing about the same length of time as he had spent in bowing. He then prostrated and said: "Gory be to our Lord, the Most High", and his prostration lasted nearly the same length of time as his standing.
Explanation
Hudhayfa once stood up with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) praying after his prayer; so he lengthened the prayer; because he recited in one Rak‘ah Sūrat al-Baqarah, then Sūrat An-Nisā', then Sūrat Āl-Imrān. While reciting whenever he was passing by a verse of request, he would request Allah; with a verse of glorification, he would glorify Allah; with the verse of refuge-seeking, he would seek refuge with Allah. So, his prayer was consistent in the length; The Rukū‘ was near the length of standing, and the prostration was near the length of bowing.
Source · Narrated by Muslim
From the Hadith Encyclopedia (hadeethenc.com).