Anas b. Malik said the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say the 'Asr prayer when the sun was high and bright and living, then one would go off to al-'Awali and get there while the sun was still high.  

أَنَّهُ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يُصَلِّي الْعَصْرَ وَالشَّمْسُ بَيْضَاءُ مُرْتَفِعَةٌ حَيَّةٌ وَيَذْهَبُ الذَّاهِبُ إِلَى الْعَوَالِي وَالشَّمْسُ مُرْتَفِعَةٌ  

Al-'Awali is situated at a distance of two miles or three (from Medina). He (the narrator) said: I think he said: or four miles.  

وَالْعَوَالِي عَلَى مِيلَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثَةٍ قَالَ وَأَحْسَبُهُ قَالَ أَوْ أَرْبَعَةٍ  

By the life of the sun is meant that you may find heat in it.  

أَنْ تَجِدَ حَرَّهَا  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would offer the Zuhr prayer while the sunlight was present in her apartment before it ascended (the walls).  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يُصَلِّي الْعَصْرَ وَالشَّمْسُ فِي حُجْرَتِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ تَظْهَرَ  

We came upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in Medina. He would postpone the afternoon prayer as long as the sun remained white and clear.  

قَدِمْنَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْمَدِينَةَ فَكَانَ يُؤَخِّرُ الْعَصْرَ مَا دَامَتِ الشَّمْسُ بَيْضَاءَ نَقِيَّةً  

'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) reported the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying on the day of Battle of Khandaq (Trench). They (the unbelievers) prevented us from offering the middle prayer i.e. 'Asr prayer. May Allah fill their houses and their graves with Hell-fire.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ يَوْمَ الْخَنْدَقِ حَبَسُونَا عَنْ صَلاَةِ الْوُسْطَى صَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ مَلأَ اللَّهُ بُيُوتَهُمْ وَقُبُورَهُمْ نَارًا  

'Aishah commanded me to write for her come passage from the Qur'an. She also added: When you reach the following verse, inform me: "Be guardian of your prayers and of the midmost prayer" (2:238). When I reached it, I informed her. She asked me to write: "Be guardians of your prayers, and of the midmost prayer, and of the 'Asr prayer, and stand up with devotion of Allah" (2:238). 'Aishah then said: I heard it from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.  

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 } ثُمَّ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ سَمِعْتُهَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to offer the Zuhr prayer in midday heat; and no prayer was harder on the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that this one. Hence the revelation came down: "Be guardians of your prayers, and of the midmost prayer" (2:238). He (the narrator) said: There are two prayers before it and two prayers after it.  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي الظُّهْرَ بِالْهَاجِرَةِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يُصَلِّي صَلاَةً أَشَدَّ عَلَى أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْهَا فَنَزَلَتْ { حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلاَةِ الْوُسْطَى } وَقَالَ إِنَّ قَبْلَهَا صَلاَتَيْنِ وَبَعْدَهَا صَلاَتَيْنِ  

If anyone says a rak'ah of the 'Asr prayer before sunset, he has observed (the 'Asr prayer), and if anyone performs a rak'ah of the Fajr prayer, he has observed (the Fajr prayer).  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَنْ أَدْرَكَ مِنَ الْعَصْرِ رَكْعَةً قَبْلَ أَنْ تَغْرُبَ الشَّمْسُ فَقَدْ أَدْرَكَ وَمَنْ أَدْرَكَ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ رَكْعَةً قَبْلَ أَنْ تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ فَقَدْ أَدْرَكَ  

We came upon Anas b. Malik after the Zuhr prayer. He stood for saying the 'Asr prayer. When he became free from praying, we mentioned to him about observing prayer in its early period or he himself mentioned it. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: This is how hypocrites pray, this is how hypocrites pray, this is how hypocrites pray: He sits (watching the sun), and when it becomes yellow and is between the horns of the devil, or is on the horns of the devil, he rises and prays for rak'ahs quickly, remembering Allah only seldom during them.  

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ تِلْكَ صَلاَةُ الْمُنَافِقِينَ تِلْكَ صَلاَةُ الْمُنَافِقِينَ تِلْكَ صَلاَةُ الْمُنَافِقِينَ يَجْلِسُ أَحَدُهُمْ حَتَّى إِذَا اصْفَرَّتِ الشَّمْسُ فَكَانَتْ بَيْنَ قَرْنَىْ شَيْطَانٍ أَوْ عَلَى قَرْنَىِ الشَّيْطَانِ قَامَ فَنَقَرَ أَرْبَعًا لاَ يَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ فِيهَا إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً  

Anyone who loses his 'Asr prayer is like a person whose family has perished and whose property has been plundered. Abu Dawud said: 'Abd Allah b. 'Umar narrated the word utira (instead of wutira, meaning perished). The dispute on this point goes back to Ayyub. Al-Zuhri reported from Salim on the authority of this father from the Prophet ﷺ the word 'wutira'.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ الَّذِي تَفُوتُهُ صَلاَةُ الْعَصْرِ فَكَأَنَّمَا وُتِرَ أَهْلَهُ وَمَالَهُ  

Delaying the 'Asr prayer means that the sunshine becomes yellow on the earth.  

أَنْ تَرَى مَا عَلَى الأَرْضِ مِنَ الشَّمْسِ صَفْرَاءَ