حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، حَدَّثَنِي يَزِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ، عَنْ مَرْثَدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ لَمَّا قَدِمَ عَلَيْنَا أَبُو أَيُّوبَ غَازِيًا وَعُقْبَةُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَى مِصْرَ فَأَخَّرَ الْمَغْرِبَ فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ فَقَالَ لَهُ مَا هَذِهِ الصَّلاَةُ يَا عُقْبَةُ فَقَالَ شُغِلْنَا ‏.‏ قَالَ أَمَا سَمِعْتَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏"‏لاَ تَزَالُ أُمَّتِي بِخَيْرٍ - أَوْ قَالَ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ - مَا لَمْ يُؤَخِّرُوا الْمَغْرِبَ إِلَى أَنْ تَشْتَبِكَ النُّجُومُ ‏"

Narrated AbuAyyub

Marthad ibn Abdullah said: When Abu Ayyub came to us as a warrior, and Uqbah ibn Amir was the governor of Egypt on that day, he delayed the sunset prayer. Abu Ayyub stood up to him and said to him: 'What is this prayer, O Uqbah?' He replied: 'We were busy.' He said: 'Did you not hear the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: "My nation will remain in goodness"—or he said: "upon the natural disposition"—"as long as they do not delay the sunset prayer until the stars appear in a network?"'