[Machine] Narrated by the Prophet ﷺ , he went out one night after delaying the Isha prayer until a short while or an hour had passed into the night while people were waiting in the mosque. He asked them, "What are you waiting for?" They replied, "We are waiting for the prayer." He said, "You will never remain in prayer as long as you keep waiting." Then he said, "Indeed, this is a prayer that no one before you from any nation had performed." Then he raised his head towards the sky and said, "The stars are the security of the heavens, so when the stars are removed, what has been promised will come to the heavens, and I am the security for my companions, so when I am taken away, what has been promised will come to my companions. And my companions are the security for my Ummah, so when my companions are taken away, what has been promised will come to my Ummah. O Bilal, establish the prayer."
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ خَرَجَ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ وَقَدْ أَخَّرَ صَلَاةَ الْعِشَاءِ حَتَّى ذَهَبَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ هُنَيْهَةٌ أَوْ سَاعَةٌ وَالنَّاسُ يَنْتَظِرُونَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَقَالَ «مَا تَنْتَظِرُونَ؟» قَالُوا نَنْتَظِرُ الصَّلَاةَ قَالَ «أَمَا أَنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَزَالُوا فِي صَلَاةٍ مَا انْتَظَرْتُمُوهَا» ثُمَّ قَالَ «أَمَا إِنَّهَا صَلَاةٌ لَمْ يُصَلِّهَا أَحَدٌ مِمَّنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ» ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَقَالَ «النُّجُومُ أَمَانُ السَّمَاءِ فَإِنْ طُمِسَتِ النُّجُومُ أَتَى السَّمَاءَ مَا يُوعَدُونَ وَأَنَا أَمَانُ أَصْحَابِي فَإِذَا قُبِضْتُ أَتَى أَصْحَابِي مَا يُوعَدُونَ وَأَصْحَابِي أَمَانُ أُمَّتِي فَإِذَا قُبِضَ أَصْحَابِي أَتَى أُمَّتِي مَا يُوعَدُونَ يَا بِلَالُ أَقِمْ»