حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَقَ حَدَّثَنِي يَزِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ عَنْ مَرْثَدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ لَمَّا قَدِمَ عَلَيْنَا أَبُو أَيُّوبَ غَازِيًا وَعُقْبَةُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَی مِصْرَ فَأَخَّرَ الْمَغْرِبَ فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ فَقَالَ لَهُ مَا هَذِهِ الصَّلَاةُ يَا عُقْبَةُ فَقَالَ شُغِلْنَا قَالَ أَمَا سَمِعْتَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ لَا تَزَالُ أُمَّتِي بِخَيْرٍ أَوْ قَالَ عَلَی الْفِطْرَةِ مَا لَمْ يُؤَخِّرُوا الْمَغْرِبَ إِلَی أَنْ تَشْتَبِکَ النُّجُومُ
سنن ابودوٗد · Hadith 418
Narrated Abu Ayyub: Marthad ibn Abdullah said: When Abu Ayyub came upon us to fight the infidels and in those days Uqbah ibn Amir was the Governor of Egypt, he (Uqbah) delayed the sunset prayer. Hence Abu Ayyub stood and said: What kind of prayer is this, Uqbah? He said: We were busy. He said: Did you not hear the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: My community will remain well, or he said: will remain on its natural condition, so long as it would not delay the evening prayer until the stars shine brightly just like a network.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020