Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stayed at my home, I saw that he (peace and blessings be upon him) regularly prayed four rak'ahs before Zuhr. He (peace and blessings be upon him) would say: "When the sun passes its zenith, the gates of heaven are opened, and none of them is closed until the Zuhr prayer has been prayed. So I love that some good of mine should rise up at that hour."
(Allamah al-Haythami said:) I say:
Abu Dawud and others recorded this narration in abridged form.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat.