"I said to 'Ata': 'What is the best time you think I should pray Al-'Atamah, either in congregation or on my own?' He said: 'I heard Ibn 'Abbas say: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ delayed Al-'Atamah one night until the people had slept and woken up, then slept and woken up again. Then 'Umar got up and said: 'The prayer, the prayer!'" 'Ata' said: 'Ibn 'Abbas said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out, and it is as if I can see him now, with water dripping from his head, putting his hand on the side of his head. [He said: "And he indicated (how)"].'" I checked with 'Ata' how the Prophet ﷺ put his hand on his head, and he showed me the same way as Ibn 'Abbas had done. 'Ata' spread his fingers a little, then placed them with the tips of his fingers on his forehead, then he drew his fingers together on his head until his thumb touched the edge of the ear that is next to the face, then moved it to his temple and forehead, then he said: 'Were it not that I would impose too much difficulty for my Ummah, I would have commanded them to offer this prayer only at this time.'"  

قُلْتُ لِعَطَاءٍ أَىُّ حِينٍ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ أَنْ أُصَلِّيَ الْعَتَمَةَ إِمَامًا أَوْ خِلْوًا قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ يَقُولُ أَعْتَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ بِالْعَتَمَةِ حَتَّى رَقَدَ النَّاسُ وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا وَرَقَدُوا وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا فَقَامَ عُمَرُ فَقَالَ الصَّلاَةَ الصَّلاَةَ قَالَ عَطَاءٌ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ خَرَجَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ الآنَ يَقْطُرُ رَأْسُهُ مَاءً وَاضِعًا يَدَهُ عَلَى شِقِّ رَأْسِهِ قَالَ وَأَشَارَ فَاسْتَثْبَتُّ عَطَاءً كَيْفَ وَضَعَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَدَهُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ فَأَوْمَأَ إِلَىَّ كَمَا أَشَارَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَبَدَّدَ لِي عَطَاءٌ بَيْنَ أَصَابِعِهِ بِشَىْءٍ مِنْ تَبْدِيدٍ ثُمَّ وَضَعَهَا فَانْتَهَى أَطْرَافُ أَصَابِعِهِ إِلَى مُقَدَّمِ الرَّأْسِ ثُمَّ ضَمَّهَا يَمُرُّ بِهَا كَذَلِكَ عَلَى الرَّأْسِ حَتَّى مَسَّتْ إِبْهَامَاهُ طَرَفَ الأُذُنِ مِمَّا يَلِي الْوَجْهَ ثُمَّ عَلَى الصَّدْغِ وَنَاحِيَةِ الْجَبِينِ لاَ يَقْصُرُ وَلاَ يَبْطُشُ شَيْئًا إِلاَّ كَذَلِكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَوْلاَ أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لأَمَرْتُهُمْ أَنْ لاَ يُصَلُّوهَا إِلاَّ هَكَذَا  

[Machine] I said to Ata', "At what time do you prefer that I pray Al-‘Atamah (the optional prayer at night) as an imam or alone?" He replied, "I heard Ibn 'Abbas saying that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to perform Al-'Atamah until the people went to sleep, and then they would wake up and perform it, and then sleep again and then wake up. 'Umar said, 'Prayer, prayer.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out, as if I can see him now, with water dripping from his head, wiping his hands over his head, and he said, 'If it were not that it would be hard on my Ummah (nation), I would have commanded them to perform it.'"  

قُلْتُ لِعَطَاءٍ أَيُّ حِينٍ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ أَنْ أُصَلِّيَ لِلْعَتَمَةِ إِمَّا إِمَامًا وَإِمَّا خَلْوًا؟ فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ يَقُولُ اعْتَمَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِالْعَتَمَةِ حَتَّى رَقَدَ النَّاسُ وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا وَرَقَدُوا وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ ؓ الصَّلَاةَ الصَّلَاةَ فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ الْآنَ تَقْطُرُ رَأْسُهُ مَاءً وَاضِعًا يَدَيْهِ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ فَقَالَ «لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لَأَمَرْتُهُمْ أَنْ يُصَلُّوا هَكَذَا»  

[Machine] I said to Ataa, "At what time do you prefer that I pray the night prayer, either in congregation or individually?" He said, "I heard Ibn Abbas saying that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would pray the night prayer when people had gone to bed and awakened, and gone to bed and awakened. Then Umar called for the prayer, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out, and it was as if I can see him now with water dripping from his head, placing his hands on his head, and he said, 'If it were not too difficult for my Ummah, I would have commanded them to pray like this.'"  

قُلْتُ لِعَطَاءٍ أَيُّ حِينٍ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ أَنْ أُصَلِّيَ الْعَتَمَةَ إِمَّا إِمَامًا أَوْ خِلْوًا فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ يَقُولُ أَعْتَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْعَتَمَةَ حِينَ رَقَدَ النَّاسُ وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا وَرَقَدُوا وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ الصَّلَاةَ فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ الْآنَ يَقْطُرُ رَأْسُهُ مَاءً وَاضِعًا يَدَيْهِ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ فَقَالَ «لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لَأَمَرْتُهُمْ أَنْ يُصَلُّوا هَكَذَا»  

[Machine] I heard Ibn Abbas saying, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prolonged the night prayer until people slept and woke up, and then slept again and woke up. Umar ibn Al-Khattab stood up and said, 'Offer the prayer.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out with water dripping from his head and said, 'If it were not difficult for my Ummah (nation), I would have ordered them to pray at this time.'"  

سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ يَقُولُ أَعْتَمَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بِالْعِشَاءِ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ حَتَّى رَقَدَ النَّاسُ وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا وَرَقَدُوا وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا فَقَامَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ فَقَالَ الصَّلَاةَ فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَقْطُرُ رَأْسُهُ مَاءً فَقَالَ «لَوْلَا أَنْ يَشُقَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لَأَمَرْتُهُمْ أَنْ يُصَلُّوهَا هَكَذَا»  

"عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: أعْتَمَ النَّبِىُّ ﷺ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةِ بِالْعشَاءِ حَتَّى رَقَدَ النَّاسُ وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا، فَقَامَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ فَقَالَ: الصَّلَاة يَا رَسُولَ الله، رَقَدَ النِّسَاءُ وَالصِّبْيَانُ، فَخَرَجَ النَّبِىُّ ﷺ كَأَنِّى أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْه الآنَ يَقْطُرُ رَأسُهُ مَاءً وَاضِعًا يَدَهُ عَلَى شِقِّ رَأسِهِ يَمْسَحُ الْمَاءَ عَنْ شِقِّهِ، فَقَالَ: لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِى لأَمَرْتُهُمْ أَنْ يُصَلُّوا هَكَذَا، وَفِى لَفْظٍ فَقَالَ: والله إِنَّهُ لَلوَقْتُ لَوْلَا أَنْ أشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِى".