Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: We prayed with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, at nightfall and he did not come out until half of the night had passed. The Prophet said, “Take your places.” We took our places and the Prophet said, “Verily, people have prayed and laid down in their beds, but you continue to be in prayer as long as you wait for prayer. Were it not for the weakness of the weak and the sickness of the sick, I would delay this prayer until half of the night had passed.”
Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 422
Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Arna’ut
عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ صَلَّيْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ صَلَاةَ الْعَتَمَةِ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ حَتَّى مَضَى نَحْوٌ مِنْ شَطْرِ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ خُذُوا مَقَاعِدَكُمْ فَأَخَذْنَا مَقَاعِدَنَا فَقَالَ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ صَلَّوْا وَأَخَذُوا مَضَاجِعَهُمْ وَإِنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَزَالُوا فِي صَلَاةٍ مَا انْتَظَرْتُمْ الصَّلَاةَ وَلَوْلَا ضَعْفُ الضَّعِيفِ وَسَقَمُ السَّقِيمِ لَأَخَّرْتُ هَذِهِ الصَّلَاةَ إِلَى شَطْرِ اللَّيْلِ
422 سنن أبي داود كتاب الصلاة باب في وقت العشاء الآخرة
422 المحدث شعيب الأرناؤوط خلاصة حكم المحدث إسناده صحيح في تخريج سنن أبي داود