Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ عَنْ دَاوُدَ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ قَالَ انْتَظَرْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَيْلَةً صَلَاةَ الْعِشَاءِ حَتَّى ذَهَبَ نَحْوٌ مِنْ شَطْرِ اللَّيْلِ قَالَ فَجَاءَ فَصَلَّى بِنَا ثُمَّ قَالَ خُذُوا مَقَاعِدَكُمْ فَإِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ أَخَذُوا مَضَاجِعَهُمْ وَإِنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَزَالُوا فِي صَلَاةٍ مُنْذُ انْتَظَرْتُمُوهَا وَلَوْلَا ضَعْفُ الضَّعِيفِ وَسَقَمُ السَّقِيمِ وَحَاجَةُ ذِي الْحَاجَةِ لَأَخَّرْتُ هَذِهِ الصَّلَاةَ إِلَى شَطْرِ اللَّيْلِ.
English Translation
Muhammad ibn Abi Adiyy told us, from Dawud, from Abu Nadrah, from Abu Sa'id, who said: We waited one night for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, for the Isha prayer, until about half the night had passed. He said: Then he came and prayed with us, then said: "Take your seats, for the people have gone to their beds, but you have remained in a state of prayer ever since you have been waiting for it. Were it not for the weakness of the weak, the sickness of the sick, and the need of the one with a need, I would have delayed this prayer until the middle of the night."