Narrated Abu Saeed al-Khudri: We observed the prayer after nightfall with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he did not come out till about half the night had passed. He then said: Take your places. We then took our places. Then he said: The people have prayed and gone to bed, but you are still engaged in prayer as long as you wait for the prayer. Were it not for the weakness of the weak and for the sickness of the sick. I would delay this prayer till half the night had gone.

Abdullah bin Umar said: One night the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was busy and he delayed the night (isha) prayer so much so that we dosed in the mosque. We awoke, then dozed, and again awoke and again dozed. He (the prophet) then came upon us and said: There is none except you who is waiting for prayer.

Abdullah bin Umar said: We remained one night waiting for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to offer the Isha prayer. He came out to us when one-third of the night has passed or even after it. We did not know whether anything kept him occupied or there was some other matter. When he came out, he said: Are you waiting for this prayer ? Were it not that it would impose a burden on my people, I would normally pray with them at this time. He then gave orders to the muadhdhin who declared that the time of the prayer had come.

Narrated Muadh ibn Jabal: We waited for the Prophet ﷺ to offer the night prayer. He delayed until people thought that he would not come out and some of us said that he had offered the prayer. At the moment when we were in this condition the Prophet ﷺ came out. People said to him as they were already saying. He said: Observe this prayer when it is dark, for by it you have been made superior to all the peoples, no people having observed it before you.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying; one is considered to be at prayer so long as one is detained by prayer: Nothing prevents one from going home to one’s family except prayer.