Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī
tabarani:4821 – Yūsuf b. Yaʿqūb al-Qāḍī > ʿAmr b. Marzūq > Shuʿbah > ʿAmr b. Abū Ḥakīm > al-Zibriqān > ʿUrwah > Zayd b. Thābit

[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ used to pray at Al-Hijr or Al-Hajirah, and it was the most difficult prayer for his companions. Then the verse {Maintain with care the [obligatory] prayers and [in particular] the middle prayer and stand before Allah, devoutly obedient.} was revealed. He said, "Because before it there were two prayers and after it there were two prayers."  

الطبراني:٤٨٢١ – حَدَّثَنَا يُوسُفُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الْقَاضِي ثنا عَمْرُو بْنُ مَرْزُوقٍ ثنا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ أَبِي حَكِيمٍ عَنِ الزِّبْرِقَانِ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ يُصَلِّي بِالْهَجِيرِ أَوْ قَالَ بِالْهَاجِرَةِ وَكَانَتْ أَثْقَلَ الصَّلَاةِ عَلَى أَصْحَابِهِ فَنَزَلَتْ {حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَى وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ} قَالَ «لِأَنَّ قَبْلَهَا صَلَاتَيْنِ وَبَعْدَهَا صَلَاتَيْنِ»  

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Abū Dāwūd, Aḥmad, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Bayhaqī
abudawud:411 – Muḥammad b. al-Muthanná > Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah > ʿAmr b. Abū Ḥakīm > al-Zibriqān > ʿUrwah b. al-Zubayr > Zayd b. Thābit

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to offer the Zuhr prayer in midday heat; and no prayer was harder on the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that this one. Hence the revelation came down: "Be guardians of your prayers, and of the midmost prayer" (2:238). He (the narrator) said: There are two prayers before it and two prayers after it.  

أبو داود:٤١١ – حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ حَدَّثَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ أَبِي حَكِيمٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الزِّبْرِقَانَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ قَالَ

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي الظُّهْرَ بِالْهَاجِرَةِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يُصَلِّي صَلاَةً أَشَدَّ عَلَى أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْهَا فَنَزَلَتْ { حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلاَةِ الْوُسْطَى } وَقَالَ إِنَّ قَبْلَهَا صَلاَتَيْنِ وَبَعْدَهَا صَلاَتَيْنِ  

ahmad:21595 – Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah > ʿAmr b. Abū Ḥakīm > al-Zibriqān > ʿUrwah b. al-Zubayr > Zayd b. Thābit

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to offer the Zuhr prayer in midday heat; and no prayer was harder on the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that this one. Hence the revelation came down: "Be guardians of your prayers, and of the midmost prayer" (2:238). He (the narrator) said: There are two prayers before it and two prayers after it. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 411)   

أحمد:٢١٥٩٥ – حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ حَدَّثَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ أَبِي حَكِيمٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الزِّبْرِقَانَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ قَالَ

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي الظُّهْرَ بِالْهَاجِرَةِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يُصَلِّي صَلَاةً أَشَدَّ عَلَى أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مِنْهَا قَالَ فَنَزَلَتْ {حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَى} [البقرة 238] قَالَ إِنَّ قَبْلَهَا صَلَاتَيْنِ وَبَعْدَهَا صَلَاتَيْنِ  

nasai-kubra:355 – Muḥammad b. al-Muthanná > Muḥammad > Shuʿbah > ʿAmr b. Abū Ḥakīm > al-Zibriqān > ʿUrwah b. al-Zubayr > Zayd b. Thābit

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to offer the Zuhr prayer in midday heat; and no prayer was harder on the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that this one. Hence the revelation came down: "Be guardians of your prayers, and of the midmost prayer" (2:238). He (the narrator) said: There are two prayers before it and two prayers after it. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 411)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٣٥٥ – أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ أَبِي حَكِيمٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الزِّبْرِقَانَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ قَالَ

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي الظُّهْرَ بِالْهَاجِرَةِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يُصَلِّي صَلَاةً أَشَدَّ عَلَى أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مِنْهَا فَنَزَلَتْ {حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَى} [البقرة 238] قَالَ إِنَّ قَبْلَهَا صَلَاتَيْنِ وَبَعْدَهَا صَلَاتَيْنِ  

bayhaqi:2154 – Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī b. Muḥammad b. ʿAlī al-Muqriʾ > al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad b. Isḥāq > Yūsuf b. Yaʿqūb al-Qāḍī > ʿAmr b. Marzūq > Shuʿbah > ʿAmr / Ibn Abū Ḥakīm > al-Zibriqān > ʿUrwah > Zayd b. Thābit

[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ used to pray with the Hajir or Hijra prayer, and it was the heaviest prayer on his companions. Then the verse was revealed: "Guard strictly (five obligatory) prayers, especially the middle prayer" [Quran 2:238]. He said: because before it and after it are two prayers, and likewise.  

البيهقي:٢١٥٤ – أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْمُقْرِئُ أنبأ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ أنا يُوسُفُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الْقَاضِي ثنا عَمْرُو بْنُ مَرْزُوقٍ ثنا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ عَمْرٍو يَعْنِي ابْنَ أَبِي حَكِيمٍ عَنِ الزِّبْرِقَانِ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ يُصَلِّي بِالْهَجِيرِ أَوْ بِالْهَاجِرَةِ وَكَانَتْ أَثْقَلَ الصَّلَاةِ عَلَى أَصْحَابِهِ فَنَزَلَتْ {حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَى وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ} [البقرة 238] قَالَ لِأَنَّ قَبْلَهَا صَلَاتَيْنِ وَبَعْدَهَا صَلَاتَيْنِ وَكَذَلِكَ  

رَوَاهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ غُنْدَرٌ وَعَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْوَارِثِ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ قَالَا فِي الْحَدِيثِ الظُّهْرُ بِالْهَاجِرَةِ