761—Ubayd Allah ibn Ahmad informed us; Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Ziyad informed us; Ahmad ibn Mansur narrated to us; Yazid ibn Harun, Yahya ibn Abi Bakr, and Abd al-Samad ibn al-Numan narrated to us—the wording being that of Yazid. He said: Jarir ibn Uthman informed us; Sulaim ibn Amir ⦗494⦘ narrated to us, from Amr ibn Abasah, who said:

I came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, “O Messenger of Allah, may Allah make me your ransom—meaning, teach me—something I do not know, which will benefit me without harming you: What time is closer than another, and what time should be avoided?” That is, concerning prayer.

He said, “O Amr ibn Abasah, you have asked me about something concerning which no one before you has asked me. Indeed, the Lord, exalted is He, descends during the depths of the night and forgives, except for what involves shirk; and the prayer is witnessed until the sun rises.”