The evidence for those who say that “the middle prayer” is the `Asr prayer

'Ali reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: On the day (of the Battle) of Ahzab we were diverted from the middle prayer, till the sun set. May Allah fill their graves or their houses, or their stomachs with fire. The narrator is in doubt about" houses" and" stomachs".

وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالَ ابْنُ الْمُثَنَّى حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ قَتَادَةَ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَبِي حَسَّانَ، عَنْ عَبِيدَةَ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمَ الأَحْزَابِ " شَغَلُونَا عَنْ صَلاَةِ الْوُسْطَى حَتَّى آبَتِ الشَّمْسُ مَلأَ اللَّهُ قُبُورَهُمْ نَارًا أَوْ بُيُوتَهُمْ أَوْ بُطُونَهُمْ " . شَكَّ شُعْبَةُ فِي الْبُيُوتِ وَالْبُطُونِ .

This hadith has heed narrated by Qatada with the same chain of transmitters. And he said: Their houses and their graves (be filled with fire), and did not express doubt over the words," houses" and" graves".

وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ وَقَالَ " بُيُوتَهُمْ وَقُبُورَهُمْ " . وَلَمْ يَشُكَّ .

Yahya heard 'Ali saying that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said on the day (of the Battle) of Ahzab, while sitting in one of the openings of the ditch: They (the enemies) have diverted us from the middle prayer till the sun set. May Allah fill their graves and their houses with fire, or their graves and stomachs with fire.

وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنِ الْحَكَمِ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ الْجَزَّارِ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنِ الْحَكَمِ، عَنْ يَحْيَى، سَمِعَ عَلِيًّا، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمَ الأَحْزَابِ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٌ عَلَى فُرْضَةٍ مِنْ فُرَضِ الْخَنْدَقِ " شَغَلُونَا عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ الْوُسْطَى حَتَّى غَرَبَتِ الشَّمْسُ مَلأَ اللَّهُ قُبُورَهُمْ وَبُيُوتَهُمْ - أَوْ قَالَ قُبُورَهُمْ وَبُطُونَهُمْ - نَارًا " .

'Ali reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said on the day (of the Battle) of Ahzab: They diverted us from saying the middle prayer, i. e. the 'Asr prayer. May Allah fill their houses and graves with fire;
he then observed this prayer between the evening prayer and the night prayer.

وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ مُسْلِمِ بْنِ صُبَيْحٍ، عَنْ شُتَيْرِ بْنِ شَكَلٍ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمَ الأَحْزَابِ " شَغَلُونَا عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ الْوُسْطَى صَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ مَلأَ اللَّهُ بُيُوتَهُمْ وَقُبُورَهُمْ نَارًا " . ثُمَّ صَلاَّهَا بَيْنَ الْعِشَاءَيْنِ بَيْنَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَالْعِشَاءِ .

'Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) reported that the polytheists detained the Messenger of Allah ﷺ from observing the afternoon prayer till the sun became red or it became yellow. Upon this the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: They have diverted us from (offering) the middle prayer. i. e. the 'Asr prayer. May Allah fill their bellies and their graves with fire, or he said: May Allah stuff their bellies and their graves with fire.

وَحَدَّثَنَا عَوْنُ بْنُ سَلاَّمٍ الْكُوفِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ طَلْحَةَ الْيَامِيُّ، عَنْ زُبَيْدٍ، عَنْ مُرَّةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ حَبَسَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ صَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ حَتَّى احْمَرَّتِ الشَّمْسُ أَوِ اصْفَرَّتْ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " شَغَلُونَا عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ الْوُسْطَى صَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ مَلأَ اللَّهُ أَجْوَافَهُمْ وَقُبُورَهُمْ نَارًا " . أَوْ قَالَ " حَشَا اللَّهُ أَجْوَافَهُمْ وَقُبُورَهُمْ نَارًا " .

Abu Yunus, the freed slave of 'A'isha said: 'A'isha ordered me to transcribe a copy of the Qur'an for her and said: When you reach this verse:" Guard the prayers and the middle prayer" (ii. 238), inform me;
so when I reached it, I informed her and she gave me dictation (like this): Guard the prayers and the middle prayer and the afternoon prayer, and stand up truly obedient to Allah. 'A'isha said: This is how I have heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى التَّمِيمِيُّ، قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى مَالِكٍ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنِ الْقَعْقَاعِ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي يُونُسَ، مَوْلَى عَائِشَةَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ أَمَرَتْنِي عَائِشَةُ أَنْ أَكْتُبَ لَهَا مُصْحَفًا وَقَالَتْ إِذَا بَلَغْتَ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ فَآذِنِّي { حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلاَةِ الْوُسْطَى} فَلَمَّا بَلَغْتُهَا آذَنْتُهَا فَأَمْلَتْ عَلَىَّ حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلاَةِ الْوُسْطَى وَصَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ . وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ . قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ سَمِعْتُهَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ .

Al-Bara' b. 'Azib reported: This verse was revealed (in this way):" Guard the prayers and the 'Asr prayer." We recited it (in this very way) so long as Allah desired. Allah, then, abrogated it and it was revealed:" Guard the prayers, and the middle prayer." A person who was sitting with Shaqiq (one of the narrators in the chain of transmitters) said: Now it implies the 'Asr prayer. Upon this al-Bara' said: I have already informed you how this (verse) was revealed and how Allah abrogated it, and Allah knows best. Imam Muslim said: Ashja'i narrated it from Sufyan al-Thauri, who narrated it from al-Aswad b. Qais, who narrated it from 'Uqba, who narrated it from al-Bara' b. 'Azib who said: We recited with the Prophet ﷺ (the above-mentioned verse like this, i. e. instead of Salat al- Wusta, Salat al-'Asr) for a certain period. as It has been mentioned (in the above-quoted hadith).

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ آدَمَ، حَدَّثَنَا الْفُضَيْلُ بْنُ مَرْزُوقٍ، عَنْ شَقِيقِ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ، قَالَ نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَصَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ . فَقَرَأْنَاهَا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ نَسَخَهَا اللَّهُ فَنَزَلَتْ { حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلاَةِ الْوُسْطَى} فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ كَانَ جَالِسًا عِنْدَ شَقِيقٍ لَهُ هِيَ إِذًا صَلاَةُ الْعَصْرِ . فَقَالَ الْبَرَاءُ قَدْ أَخْبَرْتُكَ كَيْفَ نَزَلَتْ وَكَيْفَ نَسَخَهَا اللَّهُ . وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ .

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported that Umar b. al-Khattab had been cursing the pagans of the Quraish an the day (of the Battle) of Khandaq (Ditch). (He came to the Holy Prophet) and said: Messenger of Allah, by God, I could not say. the 'Asr prayer till the sun set. Upon this the Messenger ﷺ said: By Allah I, too, have not observed it. So we went to a valley. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed ablution and we too performed ablution, and then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said the 'Asr prayer after the sun had set. and then said the evening prayer after it.

وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو غَسَّانَ الْمِسْمَعِيُّ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ، - قَالَ أَبُو غَسَّانَ حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، - حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ، يَوْمَ الْخَنْدَقِ جَعَلَ يَسُبُّ كُفَّارَ قُرَيْشٍ وَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهِ مَا كِدْتُ أَنْ أُصَلِّيَ الْعَصْرَ حَتَّى كَادَتْ أَنْ تَغْرُبَ الشَّمْسُ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " فَوَاللَّهِ إِنْ صَلَّيْتُهَا " . فَنَزَلْنَا إِلَى بُطْحَانَ فَتَوَضَّأَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَتَوَضَّأْنَا فَصَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْعَصْرَ بَعْدَ مَا غَرَبَتِ الشَّمْسُ ثُمَّ صَلَّى بَعْدَهَا الْمَغْرِبَ .