صحيح مسلم
Sahih Muslim
كتاب المساجد ومواضع الصلاة
The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer
باب الدَّلِيلِ لِمَنْ قَالَ الصَّلاَةُ الْوُسْطَى هِيَ صَلاَةُ الْعَصْرِ:
Chapter: The evidence for those who say that “the middle prayer” is the `Asr prayer
Hadith 630
This hadith is listed as number 1428 in Maktaba Shamila
حَدَّثَنَا حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاق بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ ، أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى ابْنُ آدَمَ ، حَدَّثَنَا الْفُضَيْلُ بْنُ مَرْزُوقٍ ، عَنْ شَقِيقِ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ ، قَالَ : نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ : حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَصَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ ، فَقَرَأْنَاهَا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ، ثُمَّ نَسَخَهَا اللَّهُ ، فَنَزَلَتْ " حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلاةِ الْوُسْطَى سورة البقرة آية 238 " ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ ، كَانَ جَالِسًا عِنْدَ شَقِيقٍ لَهُ : هِيَ إِذًا صَلَاةُ الْعَصْرِ ؟ فَقَالَ الْبَرَاءُ : قَدْ أَخْبَرْتُكَ كَيْفَ نَزَلَتْ ، وَكَيْفَ نَسَخَهَا اللَّهُ ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ ،
Al-Bara' bin 'Azib (RA) reported: This verse was revealed (in this way): "Guard the prayers and the 'Asr prayer." We recited it (in this very way) so long as Allah desired. Allah, then, abrogated it and it was revealed: "Guard the prayers, and the middle prayer." A person who was sitting with Shaqiq (one of the narrators in the chain of transmitters) said: Now it implies the 'Asr prayer. Upon this al-Bara' said: I have already informed you how this (verse) was revealed and how Allah abrogated it, and Allah knows best. Imam Muslim said: Ashja'i narrated it from Sufyan al-Thauri, who narrated it from al-Aswad bin Qais, who narrated it from 'Uqba, who narrated it from al-Bara' bin 'Azib (RA) who said: We recited with the Prophet (ﷺ) (the above-mentioned verse like this, i. e. instead of Salat al- Wusta, Salat al-'Asr) for a certain period. as it has been mentioned (in the above-quoted hadith).
