Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ عَنْ مَرْثَدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْيَزَنِيِّ قَالَ قَدِمَ عَلَيْنَا أَبُو أَيُّوبَ غَازِيًا وَعُقْبَةُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَى مِصْرَ فَأَخَّرَ الْمَغْرِبَ فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ فَقَالَ مَا هَذِهِ الصَّلَاةُ يَا عُقْبَةُ فَقَالَ شُغِلْنَا قَالَ أَمَا وَاللَّهِ مَا بِي إِلَّا أَنْ يَظُنَّ النَّاسُ أَنَّكَ رَأَيْتَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَصْنَعُ هَذَا أَمَا سَمِعْتَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ لَا يَزَالُ أُمَّتِي بِخَيْرٍ أَوْ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ مَا لَمْ يُؤَخِّرُوا الْمَغْرِبَ إِلَى أَنْ يَشْتَبِكَ النُّجُومُ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ حَدَّثَنِي يَزِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ عَنْ مَرْثَدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ قَدِمَ عَلَيْنَا أَبُو أَيُّوبَ وَعُقْبَةُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَى مِصْرَ فَذَكَرَ مِثْلَهُ.
English Translation
Isma'il informed us, Muhammad ibn Ishaq informed us, from Yazid ibn Abi Habib, from Marthad ibn Abdullah al-Yazani, who said: Abu Ayyub came to us on a military campaign, while Uqbah ibn Amir was at that time governor of Egypt. He delayed the sunset prayer, so Abu Ayyub stood up to him and said: What is this prayer, O Uqbah? He said: We were kept busy. He said: By Allah, nothing troubles me except that people might think that you saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, do this. Have you not heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: My nation will remain in good, or upon the natural disposition, so long as they do not delay the sunset prayer until the stars come out thickly? Muhammad ibn Abi Adi narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, Yazid ibn Abi Habib narrated to me, from Marthad ibn Abdullah, who said: Abu Ayyub came to us while Uqbah ibn Amir was at that time governor of Egypt, and he related the like of it.