We waited one night in expectation of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for the last prayer of the night, and he came out to us when a third of the night had passed even after that. We do not know whether he had been occupied with family business or something else. When he came cut he said: You are waiting for prayer, for which the followers of no other religion wait. except you. Were it not a burden for my Ummah, I would have led them (in the 'Isya' prayer) at this hour. He then ordered the Mu'adhdbin (to call for prayer) and then stood up for prayer and observed prayer.
مَكَثْنَا ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ نَنْتَظِرُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِصَلاَةِ الْعِشَاءِ الآخِرَةِ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْنَا حِينَ ذَهَبَ ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ أَوْ بَعْدَهُ فَلاَ نَدْرِي أَشَىْءٌ شَغَلَهُ فِي أَهْلِهِ أَوْ غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ حِينَ خَرَجَ إِنَّكُمْ لَتَنْتَظِرُونَ صَلاَةً مَا يَنْتَظِرُهَا أَهْلُ دِينٍ غَيْرُكُمْ وَلَوْلاَ أَنْ يَثْقُلَ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لَصَلَّيْتُ بِهِمْ هَذِهِ السَّاعَةَ ثُمَّ أَمَرَ الْمُؤَذِّنَ فَأَقَامَ الصَّلاَةَ وَصَلَّى