Sunan an-Nasa'i — The Book of the Times (of Prayer) — Hadith No: 538
أَخْبَرَنَا عِمْرَانُ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ، عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم صَلاَةَ الْمَغْرِبِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْنَا حَتَّى ذَهَبَ شَطْرُ اللَّيْلِ فَخَرَجَ فَصَلَّى بِهِمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ " إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ صَلُّوا وَنَامُوا وَأَنْتُمْ لَمْ تَزَالُوا فِي صَلاَةٍ مَا انْتَظَرْتُمُ الصَّلاَةَ وَلَوْلاَ ضَعْفُ الضَّعِيفِ وَسُقْمُ السَّقِيمِ لأَمَرْتُ بِهَذِهِ الصَّلاَةِ أَنْ تُؤَخَّرَ إِلَى شَطْرِ اللَّيْلِ " .
Translation
It was narrated that Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri said:"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led us in Maghrib prayer, then he did not come out to us until half the night had passed. Then he came out and led them in prayer, then he said: 'The people have prayed and gone to sleep, but you are still in a state of prayer so long as you are waiting for the prayer. Were it not for the weakness of the weak and, the sickness of the sick, I would have commanded that this prayer be delayed until halfway through the night