'A'isha. the wife of the Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) , reported: The Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) deferred one night the 'Isha' prayer. And this is called 'Atama. And the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) did not come out till Umar bin Khattab told (him) that the women and children had gone to sleep. So the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) came out towards them and said to the people of the mosque: None except you from the people of the earth waits for it (for the night prayer at this late hour), and it was before Islam had spread amongst people. And in the narration transmitted by Ibn Shihab the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) is reported to have said: It is not meant that you should compel the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) for prayer. And (this he said) when 'Umar bin Khattab called (the Holy Prophet) in a loud voice.

A hadith like this has been narrated by Ibn Shihab with the same chain of transmitters, but therein no mention has been made of the words of al-Zuhri: It was narrated to me, and that which followed.

'A'isha reported: The Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) one night delayed (observing the 'Isha' prayer) till a great part of the night was over and the people in the mosque had gone to sleep. He (the Holy Prophet) then came out and observed prayer and said: This is the proper time for it; were it not that I would impose a burden on my people (I would normally pray at this time). In the hadith transmitters by 'Abdul Razzaq (the words are): "Were it not that it would impose burden on my people."

'Abdullah bin 'Umar (RA) reported: We waited one night in expectation of the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) for the last prayer of the night, and he came out to us when a third of the night had passed even after that. We do not know whether he had been occupied with family business or something else. When he came out he said: You are waiting for prayer, for which the followers of no other religion wait, except you. Were it not a burden for my Ummah, I would have led them (in the 'Isha' prayer) at this hour. He then ordered the Mu'adhdhin (to call for prayer) and then stood up for prayer and observed prayer.

'Abdullah bin 'Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) was one night occupied (in some work) and he delayed it ('Isha' prayer) till we went to sleep in the mosque. We then woke up and again went to sleep and again woke up. The Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) then came to us and said: None among the people of the earth except you waits for prayer in the night.

Thabit reported: They (the believers) asked Anas about the ring of the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) and he said: One night the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) delayed (observing) the 'Isha' prayer up to the midnight or midnight was about to be over. He then came and said: (Other) people have offered prayers and slept, but you are constantly in prayer as long as you wait for prayer. Anas said: I perceive as if I am seeing the luster of his silver ring, and lifted his small left finger (in order to show how the Holy Prophet ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) had lifted it).

Anas bin Malik (RA) reported: We waited for the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) one night, till it was about midnight. He (the Holy Prophet) came and observed prayer and then turned his face towards us, as it I was seeing the lustre of the silver ring on his finger.

This hadith has been narrated by Qurra with the same chain of transmitters, but therein he did not mention: "He turned his face towards us.

Abu Musa reported: I and my companions who had sailed along with me in the boat landed with me in the valley of Buthan while the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) was staying in Madinah. A party of people amongst them went to the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) every night at the time of the 'Isha' prayer turn by turn. Abu Musa said: (One night) we (I and my companions) went to the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) and he was occupied in some matter till there was a delay in prayer so much so that it was the middle of the night. The Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) then came out and led them (Musa's companions) in prayer. And when he had observed his prayer he said to the audience present: Take it easy, I am going to give you information and glad tidings that it is the blessing of Allah upon you for there is none among the people, except you, who prays at this hour (of the night), or he said: None except you observed prayer at this (late) hour. He (i. e. the narrator) said: I am not sure which of these two sentences he actually uttered. Abu Musa, said: We came back happy for what we heard from the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) .

Ibn Juraij reported: I said to Ata': Which time do you deem fit for me to say the 'Isha' prayer, -as an Imam or alone, -that time which is called by people 'Atama? He said: I heard Ibn 'Abbas saying: The Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) one night delayed the 'Isha' prayer till the people went to sleep. They woke up and again went to sleep and again woke up. Then 'Umar bin Khattab stood up and said (loudly) "Prayer." Ata' further reported that Ibn 'Abbas said: The Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) came out, and as if I am still seeing him with water trickling from his head, and with his hand placed on one side of the head, and he said: Were it not hard for my Ummah, I would have ordered them to observe this prayer like this (i. e. at late hours). I inquired from 'Ata' how the Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) placed his hand upon his head as Ibn Abbas (RA) had informed. So Ata' spread his fingers a little and then placed the ends of his fingers on the side of his head. He then moved them like this over his head till the thumb touched that part of the ear which is near the face and then it (went) to the earlock and the part of the beard. It (the hand) neither held nor caught anything but this is how (it moved). I said to Ata': Was it mentioned to you (by Ibn Abbas (RA)) how long did the Apostle ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) delay it (the prayer) during that night? He said: I do not know (I cannot give you the exact time). Ali' said: I love that I should say prayer, whether as an Imam or alone at delayed hours as the Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) said that night, but if it is hard upon you in your individual capacity or upon people in the congregation and you are their Imam, then say prayer ('Isha') at the middle hours neither too early nor too late.