أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا آدَمُ بْنُ أَبِي إِيَاسٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو يَحْيَی سُلَيْمُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ وَضَمْرَةُ بْنُ حَبِيبٍ وَأَبُو طَلْحَةَ نُعَيْمُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا أَبَا أُمَامَةَ الْبَاهِلِيَّ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ عَمْرَو بْنَ عَبَسَةَ يَقُولُ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَلْ مِنْ سَاعَةٍ أَقْرَبُ مِنْ الْأُخْرَی أَوْ هَلْ مِنْ سَاعَةٍ يُبْتَغَی ذِکْرُهَا قَالَ نَعَمْ إِنَّ أَقْرَبَ مَا يَکُونُ الرَّبُّ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مِنْ الْعَبْدِ جَوْفَ اللَّيْلِ الْآخِرَ فَإِنْ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ تَکُونَ مِمَّنْ يَذْکُرُ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي تِلْکَ السَّاعَةِ فَکُنْ فَإِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ مَحْضُورَةٌ مَشْهُودَةٌ إِلَی طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ فَإِنَّهَا تَطْلُعُ بَيْنَ قَرْنَيْ الشَّيْطَانِ وَهِيَ سَاعَةُ صَلَاةِ الْکُفَّارِ فَدَعْ الصَّلَاةَ حَتَّی تَرْتَفِعَ قِيدَ رُمْحٍ وَيَذْهَبَ شُعَاعُهَا ثُمَّ الصَّلَاةُ مَحْضُورَةٌ مَشْهُودَةٌ حَتَّی تَعْتَدِلَ الشَّمْسُ اعْتِدَالَ الرُّمْحِ بِنِصْفِ النَّهَارِ فَإِنَّهَا سَاعَةٌ تُفْتَحُ فِيهَا أَبْوَابُ جَهَنَّمَ وَتُسْجَرُ فَدَعْ الصَّلَاةَ حَتَّی يَفِيئَ الْفَيْئُ ثُمَّ الصَّلَاةُ مَحْضُورَةٌ مَشْهُودَةٌ حَتَّی تَغِيبَ الشَّمْسُ فَإِنَّهَا تَغِيبُ بَيْنَ قَرْنَيْ شَيْطَانٍ وَهِيَ صَلَاةُ الْکُفَّارِ
سنن نسائی · Hadith 576
Abu Ya Sulaim bin ‘Amir, Damrah bin Habib and Abu Talhah Nu’aim bin Ziyad said: “We heard Abu Umamah Al-Bahili say: ‘I heard ‘Amrah bin ‘Abasah say: I said: ‘Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم, is there any moment which brings one closer to Allah than another, or any moment that should be sought out for remembering Allah?’ He said: ‘Yes, the closest that the Lord is to His slave is in the last part of the night, so if you can be among those who remember Allah at that time, then do so. For prayer is attended and witnessed (by the angels) until the sun rises, then it rises between the two horns of the Shaitan, that is the time when the disbelievers pray, so do not pray until the sun has risen to the height of a spear and its rays have disappeared. Then prayer is attended and witnessed (by the angels) until the sun is directly overhead at midday, and that is the time when the gates of Hell are opened and it is stoked up. So do not pray until the shadows appear. Then prayer is attended and witnessed (by the angels) until the sun sets, and it sets between the horns of a Shaitan, and that is the time when the disbelievers pray.” (Sahih)
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020