'A'isha. the wife of the Apostle of Allah ﷺ, reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ deferred one night the 'Isya' prayer. And this is called 'Atama. And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not come out till Umar b. Khattab told (him) that the women and children had gone to sleep. So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out towards them and said to the people of the mosque: None except you from the people of the earth waits for it (for the night prayer at this late hour), and it was before Islam had spread amongst people. And in the narration transmitted by Ibn Shihab the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is reported to have said: It is not meant that you should compel the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for prayer. And (this he said) when 'Umar b. Khattab called (the Holy Prophet) in a loud voice.

وَحَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ سَوَّادٍ الْعَامِرِيُّ، وَحَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالاَ أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، أَنَّ ابْنَ شِهَابٍ، أَخْبَرَهُ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ، زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَتْ أَعْتَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَيْلَةً مِنَ اللَّيَالِي بِصَلاَةِ الْعِشَاءِ وَهِيَ الَّتِي تُدْعَى الْعَتَمَةَ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى قَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ نَامَ النِّسَاءُ وَالصِّبْيَانُ فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ لأَهْلِ الْمَسْجِدِ حِينَ خَرَجَ عَلَيْهِمْ " مَا يَنْتَظِرُهَا أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الأَرْضِ غَيْرُكُمْ " . وَذَلِكَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَفْشُوَ الإِسْلاَمُ فِي النَّاسِ . زَادَ حَرْمَلَةُ فِي رِوَايَتِهِ قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ وَذُكِرَ لِي أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ " وَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَنْ تَنْزُرُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى الصَّلاَةِ " . وَذَاكَ حِينَ صَاحَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ .