وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ
قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَوْلَا أَن أشق على أمتِي لأمرتهم أَنْ يُؤَخِّرُوا الْعِشَاءَ إِلَى ثُلُثِ اللَّيْلِ أَوْ نصفه»
Abu Hurayrah reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Were it not for causing distress to my people, I would command them to postpone the night prayer till a third or a half of the night had passed.”
Mishkat al-Masabih 567, Book 5, Prayer, Hadith 45. 1 min read