[Machine] I was among a people who differed in regards to the middle prayer and I was the youngest among them. So they sent me to Zaid bin Thabit to ask him about the middle prayer. So I went to him and asked him. He said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray Dhuhr when the sun had passed the zenith, while the people were in their marketplaces and lanes. And he would not lead the prayer behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ except in As-Saff and As-Saffan." So Allah revealed the verse: "Guard strictly the (five obligatory) prayers, especially the middle prayer, and stand before Allah with obedience." (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:238) So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Some men should stop neglecting the prayers, or else I will burn their houses down." Abu 'Abdur-Rahman said, "This is a mistake, and the correct opinion is that it was narrated by Ibn Abi Dhi'b from Az-Zubair bin 'Ammar bin Ummiyah, from Zaid bin Thabit and Usamah bin Zaid."  

كُنْتُ فِي قَوْمٍ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي صَلَاةِ الْوُسْطَى وَأَنَا أَصْغَرُ الْقَوْمِ قَالَ فَبَعَثُونِي إِلَى زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ لِأَسْأَلَهُ عَنْ صَلَاةِ الْوُسْطَى فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي الظُّهْرَ بِالْهَاجِرَةِ وَالنَّاسُ فِي قَائِلَتِهِمْ وَأَسْوَاقِهِمْ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ يُصَلِّي وَرَاءَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ إِلَّا الصَّفُّ وَالصَّفَّانِ فَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ {حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَى وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ} [البقرة 238] فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «لَيَنْتَهِيَنَّ أَقْوَامٌ أَوْ لَأُحَرِّقَنَّ بُيُوتَهُمْ» قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ هَذَا خَطَأٌ وَالصَّوَابُ ابْنُ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ عَنِ الزِّبْرِقَانِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ وَأُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ