أَخْبَرَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ وَيُوسُفُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجٌ عَنْ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعَطَائٍ أَيُّ حِينٍ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْکَ أَنْ أُصَلِّيَ الْعَتَمَةَ إِمَامًا أَوْ خِلْوًا قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ يَقُولُ أَعْتَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ بِالْعَتَمَةِ حَتَّی رَقَدَ النَّاسُ وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا وَرَقَدُوا وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا فَقَامَ عُمَرُ فَقَالَ الصَّلَاةَ الصَّلَاةَ قَالَ عَطَائٌ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ خَرَجَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ کَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ الْآنَ يَقْطُرُ رَأْسُهُ مَائً وَاضِعًا يَدَهُ عَلَی شِقِّ رَأْسِهِ قَالَ وَأَشَارَ فَاسْتَثْبَتُّ عَطَائً کَيْفَ وَضَعَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَدَهُ عَلَی رَأْسِهِ فَأَوْمَأَ إِلَيَّ کَمَا أَشَارَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَبَدَّدَ لِي عَطَائٌ بَيْنَ أَصَابِعِهِ بِشَيْئٍ مِنْ تَبْدِيدٍ ثُمَّ وَضَعَهَا فَانْتَهَی أَطْرَافُ أَصَابِعِهِ إِلَی مُقَدَّمِ الرَّأْسِ ثُمَّ ضَمَّهَا يَمُرُّ بِهَا کَذَلِکَ عَلَی الرَّأْسِ حَتَّی مَسَّتْ إِبْهَامَاهُ طَرَفَ الْأُذُنِ مِمَّا يَلِي الْوَجْهَ ثُمَّ عَلَی الصُّدْغِ وَنَاحِيَةِ الْجَبِينِ لَا يُقَصِّرُ وَلَا يَبْطُشُ شَيْئًا إِلَّا کَذَلِکَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَی أُمَّتِي لَأَمَرْتُهُمْ أَنْ لَا يُصَلُّوهَا إِلَّا هَکَذَا
سنن نسائی · Hadith 535
It was narrated that Ibn Juraij said: “I said to ‘Ata’: “What is the best time you think I should pray Al- ‘Atamah, either in congregation or on my own?’ He said: ‘I heard Ibn ‘Abbas say: “The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم delayed Al-’Atamah one night until the people had slept and woken up, then slept and woken up again. Then ‘Umar got up and said: ‘The prayer, the prayer!” ‘Ata’ said: ‘Ibn ‘Abbas said: “The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم came out, and it is as if I can see him now, with water dripping from his head, putting his hand on the side of his head. I said: “And he indicated (how)”].” I checked with ‘Ata’ how the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم put his hand on his head, and he showed me the same way as Ibn ‘Abbas had done. ‘Ata’ spread his fingers a little, then placed them with the tips of his fingers on his forehead, then he drew his fingers together on his head until his thumb touched the edge of the ear that is next to the face, then moved it to his temple and forehead, then he said: ‘Were it not that I would impose too much difficulty for my Ummah, I would have commanded them to offer this prayer only at this time.” (Sahih)
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020