Hadith 18673

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ آدَمَ ، حَدَّثَنَا فُضَيْلٌ يَعْنِي ابْنَ مَرْزُوقٍ ، عَن شَقِيقِ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ ، عَن الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ ، قَالَ : " نَزَلَتْ : " حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَصَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ " ، فَقَرَأْنَاهَا عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ نَقْرَأَهَا ، لَمْ يَنْسَخْهَا اللَّهُ ، فَأَنْزَلَ : حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلاةِ الْوُسْطَى سورة البقرة آية 238 " . فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ كَانَ مَعَ شَقِيقٍ يُقَالُ لَهُ : أَزْهَرُ : وَهِيَ صَلَاةُ الْعَصْرِ ؟ قَالَ : قَدْ أَخْبَرْتُكَ كَيْفَ نَزَلَتْ ، وَكَيْفَ نَسَخَهَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.
It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that initially this verse was revealed: “Guard strictly your prayers, especially the Asr prayer,” and we continued to recite it during the blessed era of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as long as Allah willed, and Allah did not abrogate it. Later, instead of “Asr prayer,” the words “the middle prayer” were revealed. A man asked Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him), “Does this mean that by ‘the middle prayer’ is meant the Asr prayer?” He replied, “I have told you how it was revealed and how it was abrogated; now Allah knows best.”
Hadith Reference مسند احمد / أول مسند الكوفيين / 18673
Hadith Grading حکم دارالسلام: إسناده صحيح، م: 630