عَنْ أَنَسٍ رَضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُ: أَنَّ رسُولَ اللّهِ صَلّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم أَخَّرَ لَيْلَةً صَلاةَ الْعِشَاءِ إِلى شَطْرِ اللَّيْلِ، ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ بِوَجْهِهِ بَعْدَ مَا صَلَّى فَقَالَ: «صَلّى النَّاسُ وَرَقَدُوا، ولَمْ تَزَالُوا في صَلاةٍ مُنْذُ انْتَظَرْتُمُوهَا» رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ.
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) one night delayed the Isha prayer until midnight, then turned his face toward us after he had prayed and said: "The people have prayed and gone to sleep, but you have not ceased to be in prayer ever since you awaited it." Reported by al-Bukhari.
الشرح · explanation
شطر الليل: نصفه. صلّى الناس: أي غير المنتظرين للصلاة مع النَّبِيّ صلى اللّهُ عليه وسلم. رقدوا: ناموا.
"Midnight (shatr al-layl)": its middle. "The people have prayed": that is, those other than the ones waiting to pray with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). "Gone to sleep (raqadu)": they slept.
الدروس · lessons
جواز تأخير العشاء جماعة إلى نصف الليل. أنّ ثواب المنتظر للصلاة مع الجماعة أفضل ممن تعجل وصلى منفردًا. تعجيل الصلاة جماعة في أول الوقت أفضل من تأخيرها، لأنّ التعجيل هو الذي واظب عليه الرسول طيلة حياته ووقع منه التأخير قليلًا، ولا ينافي هذا أنّه قد حصل لهم ثواب الانتظار فانتظار الصلاة عبادة لها ثواب الصلاة.
The permissibility of delaying the Isha prayer in congregation until midnight. That the reward of the one who waits for the congregational prayer is better than that of the one who hastens and prays alone. That hastening to pray in congregation at the beginning of the time is better than delaying it, because hastening is what the Messenger observed throughout his life, while delay occurred from him only rarely; and this does not contradict that they attained the reward of waiting, for awaiting the prayer is an act of worship that carries the reward of the prayer.