The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer

Abu Amir al-Ash‘ari and Abu Kurayb reported to us; they said: Abu Usamah reported to us, from Burayd, from Abu Burdah, from Abu Musa, who said: My companions who arrived with me by ship and I were staying in Baqi‘ Buthan, while the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was in Medina. Each night, a group of them took turns attending the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at the night prayer. Abu Musa said: My companions and I met the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when he had some business keeping him occupied, and he delayed the prayer until the middle of the night. Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out and led them in prayer. When he finished, he said to those present: ‘Stay where you are. I will inform you and give you glad tidings: among Allah’s blessings upon you is that no one among the people prays at this hour except you.’ Or he said: ‘No one prayed at this hour except you.’ We do not know which of the two expressions he said. Abu Musa said: We returned happy with what we had heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

Muhammad ibn Rafi‘ reported to us: Abd al-Razzaq reported to us: Ibn Jurayj informed us: I asked Ata, ‘When do you prefer me to pray the night prayer, which people call al-‘Atamah, as an imam and alone?’ He said: I heard Ibn Abbas say: One night the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) delayed the night prayer until people had slept, woken, slept again, and woken again. Umar ibn al-Khattab stood and said, ‘The prayer!’ Ata said: Ibn Abbas said: The Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) came out, and it is as though I can see him now, water dripping from his head, with his hand placed on the side of his head. He said: ‘Were it not burdensome for my community, I would have ordered them to pray it like this.’ I asked Ata to clarify how the Prophet had placed his hand on his head, as Ibn Abbas had told him. Ata spread his fingers somewhat, placed their tips on the side of the head, and passed them over the head in that way until his thumb touched the edge of his ear nearest the face, then the temple and the side of the beard; he did not shorten or grip anything except in that manner. I asked Ata how long the Prophet had delayed it that night. He said: I do not know. Ata said: I prefer to pray it late, as an imam and alone, as the Prophet prayed it that night. If that is difficult for you alone, or for the people in congregation when you lead them, then pray it at a moderate time—not too early and not too late.