We waited for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for the night prayer, and he delayed so long that we thought he would not come out. Some of us were saying, "He has already prayed and will not come out."Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out, and we said, "Messenger of Allah, we thought you would not come out. Some of us were saying that you had already prayed and would not come out."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Pray this prayer late, for by it you have been favored over all other nations. No nation before you ever prayed it."
حدثنا عبد الله حدثني أبي حدثنا يزيد بن هارون أنا حريز يعني ابن عثمان حدثنا راشد بن سعد عن عاصم بن حميد السكوني وكان من أصحاب معاذ بن جبل
رقبنا رسول الله ﷺ في صلاة العشاء فاحتبس حتى ظننا أن لن يخرج والقائل منا يقول قد صلى ولن يخرج فخرج رسول الله ﷺ فقلنا يا رسول الله ظننا أنك لن تخرج والقائل منا يقول قد صلى ولن يخرج فقال رسول الله ﷺ أعتموا بهذه الصلاة فقد فضلتم بها على سائر الأمم ولم يصلها أمة قبلكم
No references are available.
Its chain of transmission is sahih, and its narrators are well-known trustworthy men. The hadith was reported by Abu Dawud 1/114, no. 421, in the Book of Prayer, chapter on the time of Isha. Also by Ibn Abu Shayba 1/331 and 2/439, from Muaz in both places. And by Bayhaqi 1/451, and Abu Naeem in al-Hilya 9/238.