Sahih Muslim Book - 5, Hadith - 1452

وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعَطَاءٍ أَىُّ حِينٍ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ أَنْ أُصَلِّىَ الْعِشَاءَ الَّتِى يَقُولُهَا النَّاسُ الْعَتَمَةَ إِمَامًا وَخِلْوًا قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ يَقُولُ أَعْتَمَ نَبِىُّ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ الْعِشَاءَ - قَالَ - حَتَّى رَقَدَ نَاسٌ وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا وَرَقَدُوا وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا فَقَامَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ فَقَالَ الصَّلاَةَ. فَقَالَ عَطَاءٌ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَخَرَجَ نَبِىُّ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- كَأَنِّى أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ الآنَ يَقْطُرُ رَأْسُهُ مَاءً وَاضِعًا يَدَهُ عَلَى شِقِّ رَأْسِهِ قَالَ « لَوْلاَ أَنْ يَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِى لأَمَرْتُهُمْ أَنْ يُصَلُّوهَا كَذَلِكَ ». قَالَ فَاسْتَثْبَتُّ عَطَاءً كَيْفَ وَضَعَ النَّبِىُّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- يَدَهُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ كَمَا أَنْبَأَهُ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَبَدَّدَ لِى عَطَاءٌ بَيْنَ أَصَابِعِهِ شَيْئًا مِنْ تَبْدِيدٍ ثُمَّ وَضَعَ أَطْرَافَ أَصَابِعِهِ عَلَى قَرْنِ الرَّأْسِ ثُمَّ صَبَّهَا يُمِرُّهَا كَذَلِكَ عَلَى الرَّأْسِ حَتَّى مَسَّتْ إِبْهَامُهُ طَرَفَ الأُذُنِ مِمَّا يَلِى الْوَجْهَ ثُمَّ عَلَى الصُّدْغِ وَنَاحِيَةِ اللِّحْيَةِ لاَ يُقَصِّرُ وَلاَ يَبْطِشُ بِشَىْءٍ إِلاَّ كَذَلِكَ. قُلْتُ لِعَطَاءٍ كَمْ ذُكِرَ لَكَ أَخَّرَهَا النَّبِىُّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- لَيْلَتَئِذٍ قَالَ لاَ أَدْرِى. قَالَ عَطَاءٌ أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ أَنْ أُصَلِّيَهَا إِمَامًا وَخِلْوًا مُؤَخَّرَةً كَمَا صَلاَّهَا النَّبِىُّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- لَيْلَتَئِذٍ فَإِنْ شَقَّ عَلَيْكَ ذَلِكَ خِلْوًا أَوْ عَلَى النَّاسِ فِى الْجَمَاعَةِ وَأَنْتَ إِمَامُهُمْ فَصَلِّهَا وَسَطًا لاَ مُعَجَّلَةً وَلاَ مُؤَخَّرَةً.

Ibn Juraij said: "I said to 'Ata': 'Which time do you like most to pray 'Isha' - which the people call Al-'Atamah - as an Imam or alone?' He said: 'I heard Ibn 'Abbas say: "The Prophet of Allah (s.a.w) prayed 'Isha' one night when it was very dark, when the people had fallen asleep and woken up, and fallen asleep again and woken up. Then 'Umar bin Al-Khattab stood up and said. 'The prayer."' 'Ata' said: 'Ibn 'Abbas said: "Then the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w) came out, and it is as if I can see him now, with his head dripping water, placing his hand on the side of his head and saying: 'Were it not that it would be too difficult for my Ummah, I would have commanded them to pray it like this (at this time)."' I asked 'Ata' how the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) placed his hand on his head as Ibn 'Abbas had said. 'Ata' spread his fingers a little and placed the ends of his fingers on the side of his head, then he moved them like this until his thumb was touching the side of his ear that is next to the face, then over the edge of the ear and the end of his beard, but he did not hold on to anything, except like this. I said to 'Ata': "How long did he delay ('Isha') that night?" He said: "I do not know." Ata' said: "I like most to pray 'Isha' late, whether as an Imam or alone, as the Prophet (s.a.w) prayed it on that night. If that is too hard for you, whether you are praying alone or as an Imam leading the people in congregation, then pray it at the middle hour, neither too early nor too late."