Abu Hurairah came and stayed with Abu Kulthum al-Dawsi, and they discussed the middle prayer. He said, "We differed about it just as you have differed, while we were in the courtyard of the house of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Among us was the righteous man Abu Hashim bin Utbah bin Rabia bin Abd Shams, who said, 'I will find this out for you.' He went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and since he was bold with him, he sought permission and entered. Then he came back out to us and informed us that it is the afternoon prayer."
عن أبي هريرة أقبل حتى نزل على أبي كلثوم الدوسي، فتذاكروا الصلاة الوسطى، فقال: اختلفنا فيها كما اختلفتم بفناء بيت رسول الله ﷺ وفينا الرجل الصالح أبو هاشم بن عتبة بن ربيعة بن عبد شمس، فقال: أنا أعلم لكم ذلك، فأتى رسول الله ﷺ وكان جريئا عليه فاستأذن فدخل عليه، ثم خرج إلينا فأخبرنا أنها العصر.
Ibn Abu Asim narrated it in Al-Ahad wal-Mathani (557), Bazzar in Kashf Astar (391), and Tabarani in Al-Kabir (7/361), all of them through the route of Sadaqa bin Khalid, who said, Khalid bin Dahqan narrated to us, who said, Khalid Sablan narrated to me, from Kuhayl bin Harmala, and he mentioned it.Its chain is hasan because of Khalid bin Dahqan, for he is hasan al-hadith as was mentioned previously in the book on prayer. Abu Hashim bin Utba bin Rabia bin Abd Shams al-Qurashi, whose kunya is Abu Sufyan al-Abshami, accepted Islam on the day of the conquest, and settled in Syria until he died during the caliphate of Uthman.There are other hadiths on this subject mentioned in the book on prayer.