We observed the prayer after nightfall with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he did not come out till about half the night had passed. He then said: Take your places. We then took our places. Then he said: The people have prayed and gone to bed, but you are still engaged in prayer as long as you wait for the prayer. Were it not for the weakness of the weak and for the sickness of the sick. I would delay this prayer till half the night had gone.  

صَلَّيْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلاَةَ الْعَتَمَةِ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ حَتَّى مَضَى نَحْوٌ مِنْ شَطْرِ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ خُذُوا مَقَاعِدَكُمْ فَأَخَذْنَا مَقَاعِدَنَا فَقَالَ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ صَلَّوْا وَأَخَذُوا مَضَاجِعَهُمْ وَإِنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَزَالُوا فِي صَلاَةٍ مَا انْتَظَرْتُمُ الصَّلاَةَ وَلَوْلاَ ضَعْفُ الضَّعِيفِ وَسَقَمُ السَّقِيمِ لأَخَّرْتُ هَذِهِ الصَّلاَةَ إِلَى شَطْرِ اللَّيْلِ  

"The Messenger of Allah led us for the Maghrib prayer. Then he did not come out until half the night had passed. Then he came out and led them in prayer, then he said: "The people have prayed and gone to sleep, but you are still in a state of prayer so long as you are waiting for the (next) prayer. Were it not for the weak and the sick, I wanted to delay this prayer until the middle of the night.'"  

صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلاَةَ الْمَغْرِبِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَخْرُجْ حَتَّى ذَهَبَ شَطْرُ اللَّيْلِ فَخَرَجَ فَصَلَّى بِهِمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ صَلَّوْا وَنَامُوا وَأَنْتُمْ لَمْ تَزَالُوا فِي صَلاَةٍ مَا انْتَظَرْتُمُ الصَّلاَةَ وَلَوْلاَ الضَّعِيفُ وَالسَّقِيمُ أَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ أُؤَخِّرَ هَذِهِ الصَّلاَةَ إِلَى شَطْرِ اللَّيْلِ  

[Machine] "We waited for the messenger of Allah ﷺ one night until a portion of the night had passed. He then came and led us in prayer. After the prayer, he said, 'Take your seats, for the people have gone to sleep in their beds, and you have been in prayer since you awaited it. If it were not for the weakness of the weak, the illness of the sick, and the needs of those in need, I would have delayed this prayer until a portion of the night.'"  

انْتَظَرْنَا رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ لَيْلَةً صَلَاةَ الْعِشَاءِ حَتَّى ذَهَبَ نَحْوٌ مِنْ شَطْرِ اللَّيْلِ قَالَ فَجَاءَ فَصَلَّى بِنَا ثُمَّ قَالَ خُذُوا مَقَاعِدَكُمْ فَإِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ أَخَذُوا مَضَاجِعَهُمْ وَإِنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَزَالُوا فِي صَلَاةٍ مُنْذُ انْتَظَرْتُمُوهَا وَلَوْلَا ضَعْفُ الضَّعِيفِ وَسَقَمُ السَّقِيمِ وَحَاجَةُ ذِي الْحَاجَةِ لَأَخَّرْتُ هَذِهِ الصَّلَاةَ إِلَى شَطْرِ اللَّيْلِ  

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in Maghrib prayer, then he did not come out to us until half the night had passed. Then he came out and led them in prayer, then he said: 'The people have prayed and gone to sleep, but you are still in a state of prayer so long as you are waiting for the prayer. Were it not for the weakness of the weak and, the sickness of the sick, I would have commanded that this prayer be delayed until halfway through the night.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 538)  

صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ صَلَاةَ الْمَغْرِبِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَخْرُجٍ إِلَيْنَا حَتَّى ذَهَبَ شَطْرُ اللَّيْلِ فَخَرَجَ فَصَلَّى بِهِمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ «إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ صَلَّوْا وَنَامُوا وَأَنْتُمْ لَمْ تَزَالُوا فِي صَلَاةٍ مَا انْتَظَرْتُمُ الصَّلَاةَ وَلَوْلَا ضَعْفُ الضَّعِيفِ وَسَقَمُ السَّقِيمِ لَأَمَرْتُ بِهَذِهِ الصَّلَاةِ أَنْ تُؤَخَّرُ إِلَى شَطْرِ اللَّيْلِ»  

"خُذُوا مَقَاعِدَكُمْ؛ فَإِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ صَلَّوا وَأَخذوا مضاجِعَهم، وَإِنَّكُمْ لم تَزَالُوا فِى صَلَاة ما انْتَظَرْتُم الصَّلَاة؛ وَلَوْلَا ضَعْفُ الضَّعِيفِ وَسُقْم السَّقِيمِ، وَحَاجَةُ ذِى الحاجةِ لأَخَّرْتُ هَذِهِ الصَّلَاةَ إِلَى شَطرِ اللَّيْلِ".  

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in Maghrib prayer, then he did not come out to us until half the night had passed. Then he came out and led them in prayer, then he said: 'The people have prayed and gone to sleep, but you are still in a state of prayer so long as you are waiting for the prayer. Were it not for the weakness of the weak and, the sickness of the sick, I would have commanded that this prayer be delayed until halfway through the night.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 538)   

"إِنَّ النَّاسَ قد صَلَّوْا ونامُوا، وأَنتم لمْ تَزَالوا في صلاة ما انتظرتم الصلاةَ، ولولا ضعفُ الضعيفِ، وسَقَمُ السقيم، لأَمرتُ بهذهِ الصلاةِ أَن تُؤَخَّر إِلى شَطْر الليل ".  

"عَنْ أَبِى سَعِيدٍ قَالَ: أخَّرَ النبيُّ ﷺ صَلَاةَ العِشَاءِ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ إِلَى نَحْوٍ مِنْ شَطرِ اللَّيْلِ، ثُمَّ خَرجَ فَصَلَّى بِنَا، ثُمَّ قَالَ: خُذُوا مَقَاعِدَكُمْ، فَأخَذنَا مَقَاعِدَنَا فَقَالَ: إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ صَلُّوا وَنَاموا وإِنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَزَالُوا في صَلَاة مَا انْتَظَرْتُمُوهَا، وَلَوْلَا ضَعْفُ الضَّعِيفِ، وَسُقْمُ السَّقِيم، وَحَاجَةُ ذِى الحَاجَةِ لأخَّرْتُ هَذِهِ الصلاة إِلى هَذِهِ السَّاعَةِ، وَفِي لَفْظ: إِلَى شَطرِ اللَّيْلِ".