Hadith 38788

Chapter 36

باب 36

(36) باب الدَّلِيلِ لِمَنْ قَالَ الصَّلاَةُ الْوُسْطَى هِيَ صَلاَةُ الْعَصْرِ

(36) Chapter: The evidence for those who say that "the middle prayer" is the `Asr prayer
264
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ آدَمَ، حَدَّثَنَا الْفُضَيْلُ بْنُ مَرْزُوقٍ، عَنْ شَقِيقِ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ، قَالَ نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَصَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ . فَقَرَأْنَاهَا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ نَسَخَهَا اللَّهُ فَنَزَلَتْ { حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلاَةِ الْوُسْطَى} فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ كَانَ جَالِسًا عِنْدَ شَقِيقٍ لَهُ هِيَ إِذًا صَلاَةُ الْعَصْرِ . فَقَالَ الْبَرَاءُ قَدْ أَخْبَرْتُكَ كَيْفَ نَزَلَتْ وَكَيْفَ نَسَخَهَا اللَّهُ . وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ .

Al-Bara' b. 'Azib reported:
This verse was revealed (in this way):" Guard the prayers and the 'Asr prayer." We recited it (in this very way) so long as Allah desired. Allah, then, abrogated it and it was revealed:" Guard the prayers, and the middle prayer." A person who was sitting with Shaqiq (one of the narrators in the chain of transmitters) said: Now it implies the 'Asr prayer. Upon this al-Bara' said: I have already informed you how this (verse) was revealed and how Allah abrogated it, and Allah knows best.

Reference: Sahih Muslim 630

In-book reference: Book 5, Hadith 264

USC-MSA web (English) reference(deprecated numbering scheme): Book 4, Hadith 1317