Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 10, Hadith 545 (USC-MSA) ⓘ

Narrated Ibn Juraij from Nafi`: `Abdullah bin `Umar said, "Once Allah's Messenger was busy (at the time of the `Isha'), so the prayer was delayed so much so that we slept and woke up and slept and woke up again. The Prophet came out and said, 'None amongst the dwellers of the earth but you have been waiting for the prayer." Ibn `Umar did not find any harm in praying it earlier or in delaying it unless he was afraid that sleep might overwhelm him and he might miss the prayer, and sometimes he used to sleep before the `Isha' prayer. Ibn Juraij said, "I said to `Ata', 'I heard Ibn `Abbas saying: Once Allah's Messenger delayed the `Isha' prayer to such an extent that the people slept and got up and slept again and got up again. Then `Umar bin Al-Khattab I, stood up and reminded the Prophet I of the prayer.' `Ata' said, 'Ibn `Abbas said: The Prophet came out as if I was looking at him at this time, and water was trickling from his head and he was putting his hand on his head and then said, 'Hadn't I thought it hard for my followers, I would have ordered them to pray (`Isha' prayer) at this time.' I asked `Ata' for further information, how the Prophet had kept his hand on his head as he was told by Ibn `Abbas. `Ata' separated his fingers slightly and put their tips on the side of the head, brought the fingers downwards approximating them till the thumb touched the lobe of the ear at the side of the temple and the beard on the face. He neither slowed nor hurried in this action but he acted like that. The Prophet said: "Hadn't I thought it hard for my followers I would have ordered them to pray at this time."

حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودٌ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي نَافِعٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم شُغِلَ عَنْهَا لَيْلَةً، فَأَخَّرَهَا حَتَّى رَقَدْنَا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، ثُمَّ اسْتَيْقَظْنَا ثُمَّ رَقَدْنَا ثُمَّ اسْتَيْقَظْنَا، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الأَرْضِ يَنْتَظِرُ الصَّلاَةَ غَيْرُكُمْ ‏"‏‏.‏ وَكَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ لاَ يُبَالِي أَقَدَّمَهَا أَمْ أَخَّرَهَا إِذَا كَانَ لاَ يَخْشَى أَنْ يَغْلِبَهُ النَّوْمُ عَنْ وَقْتِهَا، وَكَانَ يَرْقُدُ قَبْلَهَا‏.‏ قَالَ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ قُلْتُ لِعَطَاءٍ وَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، يَقُولُ أَعْتَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَيْلَةً بِالْعِشَاءِ حَتَّى رَقَدَ النَّاسُ وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا، وَرَقَدُوا وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا، فَقَامَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ فَقَالَ الصَّلاَةَ‏.‏ قَالَ عَطَاءٌ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَخَرَجَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ الآنَ، يَقْطُرُ رَأْسُهُ مَاءً، وَاضِعًا يَدَهُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ لَوْلاَ أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لأَمَرْتُهُمْ أَنْ يُصَلُّوهَا هَكَذَا ‏"‏‏.‏ فَاسْتَثْبَتُّ عَطَاءً كَيْفَ وَضَعَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى رَأْسِهِ يَدَهُ كَمَا أَنْبَأَهُ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، فَبَدَّدَ لِي عَطَاءٌ بَيْنَ أَصَابِعِهِ شَيْئًا مِنْ تَبْدِيدٍ، ثُمَّ وَضَعَ أَطْرَافَ أَصَابِعِهِ عَلَى قَرْنِ الرَّأْسِ ثُمَّ ضَمَّهَا، يُمِرُّهَا كَذَلِكَ عَلَى الرَّأْسِ حَتَّى مَسَّتْ إِبْهَامُهُ طَرَفَ الأُذُنِ مِمَّا يَلِي الْوَجْهَ عَلَى الصُّدْغِ، وَنَاحِيَةِ اللِّحْيَةِ، لاَ يُقَصِّرُ وَلاَ يَبْطُشُ إِلاَّ كَذَلِكَ وَقَالَ ‏"‏ لَوْلاَ أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لأَمَرْتُهُمْ أَنْ يُصَلُّوا هَكَذَا ‏"‏‏.‏