Muhammad bin Hasan bin Ali said: We asked our master Jabir bin Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with them both, during the time of Hajjaj, who used to delay the prayer. Our master Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, used to perform the Zuhr prayer when the sun had declined, and the Asr prayer (he would perform) when the sun was still clear, and the Maghrib prayer he would perform when the sun had set, and the Isha prayer he would sometimes perform early and sometimes late; when the people gathered early, he would perform it early, and when the people delayed, he would delay the prayer. And the Fajr prayer, all of them (or he said) or the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, would perform it in darkness.

It is narrated from Ibn Shihab that one day ‘Umar bin ‘Abdul ‘Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him) delayed the (‘Asr) prayer, so ‘Urwah bin Zubair came to him and said: (In the same way) Mughira bin Shu‘bah once delayed the prayer, so Sayyiduna Abu Mas‘ud Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) came to him and said:“Mughira, what is this? Do you not know that Jibril (peace be upon him) came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he led the prayer and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) also prayed, then Jibril (peace be upon him) prayed and you also prayed, then he prayed and you also prayed, then he prayed and you also prayed, then (Jibril, peace be upon him) prayed and you also prayed, then Jibril (peace be upon him) said: ‘I have been commanded to do so in this manner.’”(Upon this) ‘Umar bin ‘Abdul ‘Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:“‘Urwah, do you know what you are narrating? Did Jibril (peace be upon him) show the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) the times of prayer by performing them?”‘Urwah said:“Bashir bin Abi Mas‘ud also narrated in the same way from his father.”‘Urwah said:“Sayyidah ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated to me that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would perform the ‘Asr prayer at a time when the sunlight was still present in his chamber, even before it climbed up the wall.”