An illustration of this is what Muslim relates in his Ṣaḥīḥ on the authority of Ibn ʿUmar. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—declare, “Do not let the Bedouins prevail over you in naming your prayer; it is the ʿIshāʾ, whereas they only perform it late because of their camels.”
In another wording he said: “Do not let the Bedouins prevail over you regarding the name of your ʿIshāʾ prayer, for in the Book of Allah it is called the ʿIshāʾ. They delay it until the milking of their camels is done.”
Al-Bukhārī likewise records from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Mughaffal that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said, “Do not let the Bedouins prevail over you concerning the name of your Maghrib prayer,” adding, “The Bedouins call it the ʿIshāʾ.”
Hence the Prophet disliked conforming to the Bedouins in calling Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ by the names al-ʿIshāʾ and al-ʿAtamah. According to some of our scholars, this disapproval indicates that using those names is disliked in an absolute sense, while others
(1) The printed edition reads: “wa-mithla dhalika” (and the like).
(2) Manuscripts B, J, D and the printed edition read yaghlabannakum (they will overpower you), whereas Sahih Muslim has taghlibannakum; this is the reading adopted here, and it is likewise found in al-Bukhari.
(3) Sahih Muslim, Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer, chapter “The time for the ‘isha prayer and the permissibility of delaying it,” hadith no. 644, 1:445.
(4) Manuscript B gives “Ibn Maqil,” but the correct form is “Ibn Mughaffal,” as adopted here. ʿAbd Allah ibn Mughaffal ibn ʿAbd Ghannam ibn ʿAfif al-Muzani—known as Abu Saʿid, or Abu Ziyad—was a distinguished Companion: he pledged allegiance at al-Shajarah, was among the “weepers” during the Tabuk expedition, and one of the ten men ʿUmar sent to Basra to teach the people. He settled in Basra and died there in 61 AH. See al-Isabah, 2:372, no. 4972.
(5) The word qala (“he said”) is omitted in manuscript B.
(6) Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Prayer Times, chapter “Those who disliked calling the Maghrib prayer ‘isha,” hadith no. 563; Fath al-Bari, 1:43.
(7) Manuscripts A, B, and T read ismi (“my name”).