I said to Ata': Which time do you deem fit for me to say the 'Isya' prayer, -as an Imam or alone, -that time which is called by people 'Atama? He said: I heard Ibn 'Abbas saying: The Apostle of Allah ﷺ one night delayed the 'Isya' prayer till the people went to sleep. They woke up and again went to sleep and again woke up. Then 'Umar b. Khattab stood up and said (loudly)" Prayer." Ata' further reported that Ibn 'Abbas said: The Apostle of Allah ﷺ came out, and as if I am still seeing him with water trickling from his head, and with his hand placed on one side of the head, and he said: Were it not hard for my Ummah, I would have ordered them to observe this prayer like this (i. e. at late hours). I inquired from 'Ata' how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ placed his hand upon his head as Ibn Abbas had informed. So Ata' spread his fingers a little and then placed the ends of his fingers on the side of his head. He then moved them like this over his head till the thumb touched that part of the ear which is near the face and then it (went) to the earlock and the part of the heard. It (the bind) neither held nor caught anything but this is how (it moved oil). I said to Ata': Was it mentioned to you (by Ibn Abbas) how long did the Apostle ﷺ delay it (the prayer) during that eight? He said: I do not know (I cannot give you the exact time). Ali' said: I love that I should say prayer, whether as an Imam or alone at delayed hours as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that night, but if It is hard upon you in your individual capacity or upon people in the congregation and you are their Imam, then say prayer ('Isha') at the middle hours neither too early nor too late.  

قُلْتُ لِعَطَاءٍ أَىُّ حِينٍ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ أَنْ أُصَلِّيَ الْعِشَاءَ الَّتِي يَقُولُهَا النَّاسُ الْعَتَمَةَ إِمَامًا وَخِلْوًا قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ يَقُولُ أَعْتَمَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ الْعِشَاءَ قَالَ حَتَّى رَقَدَ نَاسٌ وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا وَرَقَدُوا وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا فَقَامَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ فَقَالَ الصَّلاَةَ فَقَالَ عَطَاءٌ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَخَرَجَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ الآنَ يَقْطُرُ رَأْسُهُ مَاءً وَاضِعًا يَدَهُ عَلَى شِقِّ رَأْسِهِ قَالَ لَوْلاَ أَنْ يَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لأَمَرْتُهُمْ أَنْ يُصَلُّوهَا كَذَلِكَ قَالَ فَاسْتَثْبَتُّ عَطَاءً كَيْفَ وَضَعَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَدَهُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ كَمَا أَنْبَأَهُ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَبَدَّدَ لِي 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 يَلِي الْوَجْهَ ثُمَّ عَلَى الصُّدْغِ وَنَاحِيَةِ اللِّحْيَةِ لاَ يُقَصِّرُ وَلاَ يَبْطِشُ بِشَىْءٍ إِلاَّ كَذَلِكَ قُلْتُ لِعَطَاءٍ كَمْ ذُكِرَ لَكَ أَخَّرَهَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لَيْلَتَئِذٍ قَالَ لاَ أَدْرِي قَالَ عَطَاءٌ أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ أَنْ أُصَلِّيَهَا إِمَامًا وَخِلْوًا مُؤَخَّرَةً كَمَا صَلاَّهَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لَيْلَتَئِذٍ فَإِنْ شَقَّ عَلَيْكَ ذَلِكَ خِلْوًا أَوْ عَلَى النَّاسِ فِي الْجَمَاعَةِ وَأَنْتَ إِمَامُهُمْ فَصَلِّهَا وَسَطًا لاَ مُعَجَّلَةً وَلاَ مُؤَخَّرَةً  

"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  

I said to Ata': Which time do you deem fit for me to say the 'Isya' prayer, -as an Imam or alone, -that time which is called by people 'Atama? He said: I heard Ibn 'Abbas saying: The Apostle of Allah ﷺ one night delayed the 'Isya' prayer till the people went to sleep. They woke up and again went to sleep and again woke up. Then 'Umar b. Khattab stood up and said (loudly)" Prayer." Ata' further reported that Ibn 'Abbas said: The Apostle of Allah ﷺ came out, and as if I am still seeing him with water trickling from his head, and with his hand placed on one side of the head, and he said: Were it not hard for my Ummah, I would have ordered them to observe this prayer like this (i. e. at late hours). I inquired from 'Ata' how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ placed his hand upon his head as Ibn Abbas had informed. So Ata' spread his fingers a little and then placed the ends of his fingers on the side of his head. He then moved them like this over his head till the thumb touched that part of the ear which is near the face and then it (went) to the earlock and the part of the heard. It (the bind) neither held nor caught anything but this is how (it moved oil). I said to Ata': Was it mentioned to you (by Ibn Abbas) how long did the Apostle ﷺ delay it (the prayer) during that eight? He said: I do not know (I cannot give you the exact time). Ali' said: I love that I should say prayer, whether as an Imam or alone at delayed hours as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that night, but if It is hard upon you in your individual capacity or upon people in the congregation and you are their Imam, then say prayer ('Isha') at the middle hours neither too early nor too late. (Using translation from Muslim 642)   

سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ يَقُولُ أَعْتَمَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ الْعِشَاءَ حَتَّى رَقَدَ النَّاسُ وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا وَرَقَدُوا وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا فَقَامَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ ؓ فَقَالَ الصَّلَاةَ قَالَ عَطَاءٌ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَخَرَجَ نَبِيُّ اللهِ ﷺ حَتَّى أَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهِ الْآنَ يَقْطُرُ رَأْسُهُ مَاءً وَاضِعًا يَدَهُ عَلَى شَقِّ رَأْسِهِ فَقَالَ لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لَأَمَرْتُهُمْ أَنْ يُصَلُّوهَا كَذَلِكَ قَالَ فَاسْتَثْبَتُّ عَطَاءً كَيْفَ وَضَعَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَدَهُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ كَمَا أَنْبَأَهُ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَبَدَّدَ لِي عَطَاءُ بَيْنَ أَصَابِعِهِ شَيْئًا مِنْ تَبْدِيدٍ ثُمَّ وَضَعَ أَطْرَافَ أَصَابِعِهِ عَلَى فِرْقِ الرَّأْسِ ثُمَّ ضَمَّهَا يُمِرُّهَا كَذَلِكَ عَلَى الرَّأْسِ حَتَّى مَسَّتْ إِبْهَامُهُ طَرَفَ الْأُذُنِ مِمَّا يَلِي الْوَجْهَ ثُمَّ عَلَى الصُّدْغِ وَنَاحِيَةِ اللِّحْيَةِ لَا يَقْصُرُ وَلَا يَبْطُشُ بِشَيْءٍ إِلَّا كَذَلِكَ قُلْتُ لِعَطَاءٍ كَمْ ذَلِكَ أَخَّرَهَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لَيْلَتَئِذٍ؟ قَالَ لَا أَدْرِي قَالَ عَطَاءٌ فَأَحَبُّ إِلِيَّ أَنْ تُصَلِّيَهَا إِمَامًا وَخِلْوًا مُؤْخِرَةً كَمَا صَلَّاهَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لَيْلَتَئِذٍ قَالَ فَإِنْ شَقَّ عَلَيْكَ ذَلِكَ خِلْوًا أَوْ عَلَى النَّاسِ فِي الْجَمَاعَةِ وَأَنْتَ إِمَامُهُمْ فَصَلِّهَا وَسْطَةً لَا مُعَجَّلَةً وَلَا مُؤْخِرَةً