131 – ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: “One night the Prophet ﷺ delayed the ʿIshāʾ prayer until much of the night had passed. He then came out, led the prayer, and said, ‘It is indeed its (proper) time, were it not that I would place a burden on my ummah.’ ” Related by Muslim (1).

Vocabulary of the ḥadīth:
• aʿtama (delayed until the ʿatamah): to enter the period of deep night darkness; the prayer is named after this time. The ʿatamah is the last third of the first portion of the night.
• al-ʿIshāʾ: pronounced with a kasrah on the ʿayn and an extended final vowel; the prayer is named after the time in which it is performed.
• “Much of the night”: a large part of the night, though not most of it.
• “It is indeed its time”: i.e., its most virtuous time, were it not for the hardship it would impose on the community.

Lessons drawn from the ḥadīth:
1 – It is recommended to postpone the ʿIshāʾ prayer until a considerable part of the night, provided it does not exceed one-third or one-half of the night, these being the limits of the preferred time according to the two opinions cited earlier.
2 – One should consider the condition of the congregants and avoid burdening them by prolonged waiting or overly long recitation.
3 – The ḥadīth affirms the legal maxim, “Preventing harm takes precedence over procuring benefit,” for removing their hardship was given priority over the merit of praying at the most excellent time.
4 – It is permissible at times to perform a less-excellent act in order to clarify its ruling for people.
5 – The Prophet’s ﷺ mercy appears in his constant preference for the easier of two options to lighten the burden on his ummah. He said, “You have been sent as facilitators and not as those who cause hardship” [reported by al-Bukhārī (220)].