حَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ وَإِسْحَقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ إِسْحَقُ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ زُهَيْرٌ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ الْحَکَمِ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ مَکَثْنَا ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ نَنْتَظِرُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِصَلَاةِ الْعِشَائِ الْآخِرَةِ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْنَا حِينَ ذَهَبَ ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ أَوْ بَعْدَهُ فَلَا نَدْرِي أَشَيْئٌ شَغَلَهُ فِي أَهْلِهِ أَوْ غَيْرُ ذَلِکَ فَقَالَ حِينَ خَرَجَ إِنَّکُمْ لَتَنْتَظِرُونَ صَلَاةً مَا يَنْتَظِرُهَا أَهْلُ دِينٍ غَيْرُکُمْ وَلَوْلَا أَنْ يَثْقُلَ عَلَی أُمَّتِي لَصَلَّيْتُ بِهِمْ هَذِهِ السَّاعَةَ ثُمَّ أَمَرَ الْمُؤَذِّنَ فَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَصَلَّی
صحیح مسلم · Hadith 1446
A'isha reported: The Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) one night delayed (observing the 'Isya' prayer) till a great part of the night was over and the people in the mosque had gone to sleep. He (the Holy Prophet) then came out and observed prayer and said: This is the proper time for it; were it not that I would impose a burden on my people (I would normally pray at this time). In the hadith transmitters by 'Abd al-Razzaq (the words are): Were it not that it would impose burden on my people.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020