Sayyiduna Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to lead the Zuhr prayer at midday, and this prayer was the hardest upon the Companions. Then this verse was revealed: {حَافِظُوْا عَلَی الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلٰاۃِ الْوُسْطٰی} … Guard strictly the prayers, especially the best prayer. Then Sayyiduna Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Because there are two prayers before it and two prayers after it.

It is narrated from Zabraqan that Sayyiduna Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by a group of the Quraysh who were gathered at a place. They sent two slaves to Sayyiduna Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) to ask him about the middle prayer. He replied: It is the Asr prayer. But two men among them stood up and said: It is the Zuhr prayer. Then both of them went to Sayyiduna Usama bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him the same question. He also said: It is the Zuhr prayer. The detail is that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform the Zuhr prayer at midday. There would be one or two rows of worshippers behind him in congregation; some would be taking a nap and some would be busy in trade. Then Allah the Exalted revealed this command: {حَافِظُوْا عَلَی الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاۃِ الْوُسْطَی وَقُومُوْا لِلَّہِ قَانِتِینَ} … Guard strictly the prayers, especially the middle prayer, and stand before Allah devoutly obedient. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: People must stop abandoning the prayer, or I will burn their houses down.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Bara’ bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: When this verse was revealed {حَافِظُوْا عَلَی الصَّلَوَاتِ وَصَلَاۃِ الْعَصْرِ}, then for as long as Allah willed, we continued to recite it during the blessed era of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and Allah did not abrogate it. Then Allah revealed it in this way: {حَافِظُوْا عَلَی الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاۃِ الْوُسْطٰی}. There was a man with the narrator Shaqiq, his name was Azhar, he asked Sayyiduna Bara’: Is the middle prayer (Salat al-Wusta) the Asr prayer? He replied: I have told you how this verse was revealed and how it was abrogated, the rest Allah knows best.

Mawla Aisha narrates from Abu Yunus, who says: Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) ordered me to write a Mushaf for her, and said: When you reach this verse {حَافِظُوْا عَلَی الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاۃِ الْوُسْطَی}, inform me. So when I reached this verse, I informed her. She dictated this verse to me as: {حَافِظُوْا عَلَی الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاۃِ الْوُسْطَی وَصَلَاۃِ الْعَصْرِ وَقُومُوا لِلَّہِ قَانِتِینَ} Then she said: I heard this verse in this way from the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

Sayyiduna Zayd bin Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that during the blessed era of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), a person could speak about his needs during prayer, until this verse was revealed: {وَقُوْمُوْا لِلّٰہِ قَانِتِیْنَ} … and stand before Allah with devotion. Thus, we were commanded to remain silent in prayer.

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Wherever the word "Qunoot" is used in the Noble Qur'an, it means obedience.