Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Imam Nawawi rahimahullah, regarding the distance of the tribe of Amr bin Awf from Madinah and their performing the Asr prayer late, states that the tribe of Amr bin Awf was located approximately two miles from Madinah Tayyibah. Since they were occupied with their work and farming, they used to perform the Asr prayer at the average (middle) time. (Fath al-Bari: 38/2)

(2)
This hadith also indicates the virtue of performing the Asr prayer at its earliest time, that is, when the shadow of an object is equal to its length (one shadow-length), as Imam Nawawi rahimahullah explains under this hadith, that this hadith is an argument against the Hanafis, whose position is that the time for Asr does not begin until the shadow of an object becomes twice its length. Allamah Ayni rahimahullah, commenting on this, says that we do not accept that this is the position of all Hanafis. Only Asad bin Amr is unique in narrating this position from Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah. Besides him, Hasan narrates from him that the time for Asr begins when the shadow of an object becomes equal to its length (one shadow-length). This is also the view of Abu Yusuf, Muhammad, and Zufar. Imam Tahawi rahimahullah has also preferred this view. (Umdat al-Ahkam: 44/4) However, in the present era, the practice of the Hanafis is upon the position of two shadow-lengths.