حَدَّثَنَا أَسْوَدُ أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ عَنْ فُضَيْلٍ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ أَمْسَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِصَلَاةِ الْعِشَاءِ حَتَّى صَلَّى الْمُصَلِّي وَاسْتَيْقَظَ الْمُسْتَيْقِظُ وَنَامَ النَّائِمُونَ وَتَهَجَّدَ الْمُتَهَجِّدُونَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَقَالَ لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي أَمَرْتُهُمْ أَنْ يُصَلُّوا هَذَا الْوَقْتَ أَوْ هَذِهِ الصَّلَاةَ أَوْ نَحْوَ ذَا
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 4826
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar sad: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) delayed 'lsha prayer until some people prayed, some stayed awake, some feel asleep and some prayed tahajjud. Then he came out and said: "Were it not that it would be too difficult for my ummah, I would have instructed them to pray at this time.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020