"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'When the edge of the sun rises, then delay prayer until it has fully risen, and when the edge of the sun starts to set, delay prayer until it has fully set.'"
Abu Yahya Sulaim bin 'Amir, Damrah bin Habib and Abu Talhah Nu'aim bin Ziyad said:
"We heard Abu Umamah Al-Bahili say: 'I heard 'Amrah bin 'Abasah say: I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, is there any moment which brings one close to Allah than another, or any moment that should be sought out for remembering Allah? He said: 'Yes, the closest that the Lord is to His slave is in the last part of the night, so if you can be among those who remember Allah at that time, then do so. For prayer is attended and witnessed (by the angels) until the sun rises, then it rises between the two horns of the Shaitan, that is the time when the disbelievers pray, so do not pray until the sun had risen to the height of a spear and its rays have disappeared. Then prayer is attended and witness (by the angels) until the sun is directly overhead at midday, and that is the time when the gates of Hell are opened and it is stoked up. So do not pray until the shadows appear. Then prayer is attended and witnessed (by angels) until the sun sets, and it sets between the horns of a Shaitan, and that is the time when the disbelievers pray.'"
Chapter 36: Concession Allowing Prayer After 'Asr - كتاب المواقيت
أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ قُدَامَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مُغِيرَةَ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ، قَالَ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ رضى الله تعالى عنها مَا دَخَلَ عَلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ إِلاَّ صَلاَّهُمَا .
It was narrated that Al-Aswad said:
'Aishah said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) never entered upon me after 'Asr but he prayed them (the two Rak'ahs)."
Chapter 36: Concession Allowing Prayer After 'Asr - كتاب المواقيت
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ، عَنْ خَالِدِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ مَسْرُوقًا، وَالأَسْوَدَ، قَالاَ نَشْهَدُ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا كَانَ عِنْدِي بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ صَلاَّهُمَا .
It was narrated that Abu Ishaq said:
"I heard Masruq and Al-Aswad say: We bear witness that 'Aishah said: 'When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was with me after 'Asr, he would pray them (these two Rak'ahs).'"
"There are two prayers that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) never neglected to pray them in my house secretly nor publicly: Two Rak'ahs before Fajr and two Rak'ahs after 'Asr."
It was narrated from Abu Salamah that he asked 'Aishah about the two prostrations (Rak'ahs) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray after 'Asr. She said:
"He used to pray them before 'Asr, but if he got distracted or forgot them, he would pray them after 'Asr, and if he did a prayer he would be constant in it."
"I asked Lahiq about the two Rak'ahs before sunset. He said: "Abdullah bin Az-Zubair used to pray them, and Mu'awiyah sent word to him asking: 'What are these two Rak'ahs at sunset?' He had to refer to Umm Salamah, and Umm Salamah said: 'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray two Rak'ahs before 'Asr, then he was distracted and did not pray them, so he prayed them when the sun set, and I never saw him pray them before or after that.'"
It was narrated from Yazid bin Abi Habib that Abu Al-Khair told him:
"Abu Tamim Al-Jaishani stood up to pray two Rak'ahs before Maghrib, and I said to 'Uqbah bin 'Amir: 'Look at this man, what prayer is he praying?' He turned and looked at him, and said: 'This is a prayer that we used to pray at the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).'"
"I came to the Messenger of Allah, who became Muslim with you?' He said: 'Free men and slaves.' I said: 'Is there any moment which brings one closer to Allah than another?' He said: 'Yes, the last part of the night, so pray as much as you want until you pray Subh, then stop until the sun has risen until and it looks like a shield and (its shinning)spreads. Then pray as much as you want until an object's shadow is at its shortest, then stop until the sun passes its zenith, for Hell is stoked at midday. Then pray 'Asr, then stop until you pray 'Asr, then stop until the sun has set, for it sets between the horns of a Shaitan and rises between the horns of a Shaitan.'" [1]
[1] Similar has been recorded by Muslim.
"If the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was setting out on a journey before the sun passed its zenith, he would delay Zuhr until the time of 'Asr, then he would stop and combine the prayer. If the sun passed its zenith before he set out, he would pray Zuhr and then set off.
Chapter 42: The Time When A Traveler May Combine Zuhr And 'Asr Prayers - كتاب المواقيت
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، وَالْحَارِثُ بْنُ مِسْكِينٍ، قِرَاءَةً عَلَيْهِ وَأَنَا أَسْمَعُ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - عَنِ ابْنِ الْقَاسِمِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ الْمَكِّيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي الطُّفَيْلِ، عَامِرِ بْنِ وَاثِلَةَ أَنَّ مُعَاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُمْ، خَرَجُوا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَامَ تَبُوكَ فَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَ الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَالْعِشَاءِ فَأَخَّرَ الصَّلاَةَ يَوْمًا ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَصَلَّى الظُّهْرَ وَالْعَصْرَ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ دَخَلَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَصَلَّى الْمَغْرِبَ وَالْعِشَاءَ .
It was narrated from Abu At-Tufail 'Amir bin Wathilah that Mu'adh bin Jabal told him that they went out with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the year of Tabuk, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was joining Zuhr and 'Asr, and Maghrib and 'Isha'. He delayed the prayer one day then he went out and prayed Zuhr and 'Asr together, then he went in and came out again and prayed Maghrib and 'Isha'.
"I asked Salim bin 'Abdullah about how his father prayed when traveling. We asked him: 'Did he combine any of his prayers when traveling?' He said that Safiyyah bint Abi 'Ubaid was married to him, and she wrote to him, when he was at some farmland of his, saying: 'This is the last of my days in this world, and the first day of the Hereafter." [1] He rode quickly to go to her, and when the time for Zuhr came, the Mu'adhdhin said to him: "The prayer, O Abu 'Abdur-Rahman!" But he paid no attention to him until it was between the time for the two prayers, then he stopped and said: "Say the Iqamah and when I say the Taslim, say the Iqamah." Then he rode on again, and when the sun set the Mu'adhdhin said to him; "The prayer!" He said: "Do as you did for Zuhr and 'Asr." When the stars had appeared, he stopped and said to the Mu'adhdhin: "Say the Iqamah and when I say the Taslim, say the Iqamah." He prayed, then when he had finished he turned to us and said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'If any one of you has an urgent need that he fears he may miss, let him pray like this.'"
[1] Meaning that she was dying.
Chapter 44: Times During Which A Resident May Combine Prayers - كتاب المواقيت
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِالْمَدِينَةِ ثَمَانِيًا جَمِيعًا وَسَبْعًا جَمِيعًا أَخَّرَ الظُّهْرَ وَعَجَّلَ الْعَصْرَ وَأَخَّرَ الْمَغْرِبَ وَعَجَّلَ الْعِشَاءَ .
It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said:
"I prayed with the Prophet (ﷺ) in Al-Madinah, eight together and seven together. He delayed Zuhr and brought 'Asr forward, and he delayed Maghrib and brought 'Isha' forward."
It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbas that he prayed Al-Uula (Zuhr) and 'Asr together in Al-Basrah with nothing in between them, and he prayed Maghrib and 'Isha' together with nothing in between them. He did that because he was busy and Ibn 'Abbas said that he had prayed Zuhr and 'Isha' together with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in Al-Madinah, eight Rak'ahs with nothing in between.
It was narrated that Isma'il bin 'Abdur-Rahman, a Shaikh of the Quraish, said:
"I accompanied Ibn 'Umar to Al-Hima. [1] When the sun set I felt too nervous to remind him of the prayer, so he went on until the light on the horizon had disappeared and it was getting dark, then he stopped and prayed Maghrib, three Rak'ahs, then he prayed two Rak'ahs immediately afterwards, then he said: 'This what I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) do.'"
[1] A place near Madinah.
"Salim told me that his father said: 'I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), when he was in a hurry to travel, delaying Maghrib so that he could combine it with 'Isha'.'"
Chapter 45: The Time When A Traveler May Combine Maghrib and 'Isha' - كتاب المواقيت
أَخْبَرَنَا الْمُؤَمَّلُ بْنُ إِهَابٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْجَارِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ غَابَتِ الشَّمْسُ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِمَكَّةَ فَجَمَعَ بَيْنَ الصَّلاَتَيْنِ بِسَرِفَ .
It was narrated that Jabir said:
"The sun set when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was in Makkah, and he joined the two prayers in Sarif.: [1]
[1] A valley about 12 km northeast of Makkah on the way to Al-Madinah.
It was narrated from Anas that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
"If the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) wanted to travel quickly, he would delay Zuhr until the time of 'Asr and combine them, and he would delay Maghrib until he combined it with 'Isha' when the twilight had disappeared."
"I went out with 'Abdullah bin 'Umar on a journey to some of his land. Then someone came to him and said: 'Safiyyah bint Abi 'Ubaid is sick, try to get there before it is too late.' He set out quickly, accompanied by a man of the Quraish. The sun set but he did not pray, although I knew him to be very careful about praying on time. When he slowed down I said: 'The prayer, may Allah have mercy on you.' He turned to me but carried on until the twilight was almost gone, then he stopped and prayed Maghrib, then he said the Iqamah for 'Isha', at that time the twilight had totally disappeared and led us in prayer. Then he turned to us and said: 'If the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was in a hurry to travel he would do this.'"