حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ الْمُفَضَّلِ حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ بْنُ أَبِي هِنْدٍ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ صَلَّيْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ صَلَاةَ الْعَتَمَةِ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ حَتَّی مَضَی نَحْوٌ مِنْ شَطْرِ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ خُذُوا مَقَاعِدَکُمْ فَأَخَذْنَا مَقَاعِدَنَا فَقَالَ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ صَلَّوْا وَأَخَذُوا مَضَاجِعَهُمْ وَإِنَّکُمْ لَنْ تَزَالُوا فِي صَلَاةٍ مَا انْتَظَرْتُمْ الصَّلَاةَ وَلَوْلَا ضَعْفُ الضَّعِيفِ وَسَقَمُ السَّقِيمِ لَأَخَّرْتُ هَذِهِ الصَّلَاةَ إِلَی شَطْرِ اللَّيْلِ
سنن ابودوٗد · Hadith 422
Narrated Abu Saeed al-Khudri: We observed the prayer after nightfall with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he did not come out till about half the night had passed. He then said: Take your places. We then took our places. Then he said: The people have prayed and gone to bed, but you are still engaged in prayer as long as you wait for the prayer. Were it not for the weakness of the weak and for the sickness of the sick. I would delay this prayer till half the night had gone.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020