Sayyiduna Nu’man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I have more knowledge than the people regarding the time of this prayer (the narrator says, meaning the ‘Isha prayer). The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer it when the third night’s moon would set.

Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer the 'Isha prayer late.

Muhammad bin Amr narrates: We asked Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) about the prayer of the Prophet (peace be upon him), so he informed us that he used to offer the Zuhr prayer after the sun had declined, and the Asr prayer when the sun was still bright, and the Maghrib prayer when the sun had set, and sometimes he would offer the Isha prayer early and sometimes delay it. When people would come early, he would offer it early, and when people did not come early, he would delay it, while he used to offer the Fajr prayer in darkness.

Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: One night the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) came to his companions while they were waiting for the ‘Isha prayer. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "People have already performed the prayer, and they have gone to sleep, and you are waiting for it. Since you have been waiting for it, you are counted as being in the state of prayer from that time." Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "If it were not for the weakness of a weak person (the narrator is in doubt, perhaps these are the words) or the old age of an elderly person, I would have delayed this prayer until midnight."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Once, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) delayed performing the ‘Isha prayer. Then he came towards the mosque and the people were waiting for the prayer. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“At this time, besides you, there is no follower of any religion who is remembering Allah, the Exalted.”Upon this, this verse was revealed:“They are not all alike. Among the People of the Book is a community that recites the verses of Allah in the hours of the night, prostrating themselves.”This verse continues up to:“they prostrate.”

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates this statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "If I did not fear hardship for my Ummah, I would have ordered them to use the miswak with every ablution, and I would have delayed the Isha prayer until one third of the night (the narrator is in doubt, perhaps these are the words) or until half the night."

Ibn Jurayj says: I asked Ata: Which time do you prefer most for me to perform the Isha prayer, whether I am leading as an imam or praying alone? He replied: I heard Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrate this: One night, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) delayed the Isha prayer until the people fell asleep, then they woke up, then slept again, then woke up. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Prayer! The Prophet (peace be upon him) came out—this scene is still before my eyes—water droplets were dripping from his head, and he had his hand placed on his head. He said: "If I did not fear hardship for my ummah, I would have commanded them to perform this prayer at this time."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: One night, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) delayed performing the Isha prayer. Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) came (near the blessed chamber) and said: The time for prayer has come, the women and children have fallen asleep. Then the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) came out, water droplets were dripping from his head, and he said: "If I did not fear hardship for the believers, I would have commanded them to perform this prayer (i.e., at this time)."

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer the 'Isha prayer late.

Lady Aisha Siddiqa (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: One night, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) delayed performing the Isha prayer. This is the prayer which is called "Atamah." The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) did not come (to the mosque) until Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) (said in a loud voice): The women and children have gone to sleep. Then the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) came, and after arriving, he said to the people in the mosque: At this time, besides you, there is no one else on the face of the earth waiting for this (prayer). (Lady Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, says) This was before Islam had spread among the people. Ibn Shihab narrates: The narrators have mentioned this statement that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is not appropriate for you, you should not try to go ahead of the Messenger of Allah regarding the prayer." He said this when Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) had made this request in a loud voice.