Sahih Muslim 629
Sahih Muslim · Book 5: The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer · The evidence for those who say that “the middle prayer” is the `Asr prayer
Abu Yunus, the freed slave of 'A'isha said:
وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى التَّمِيمِيُّ ، قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى مَالِكٍ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ ، عَنِ الْقَعْقَاعِ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي يُونُسَ ، مَوْلَى عَائِشَةَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ أَمَرَتْنِي عَائِشَةُ أَنْ أَكْتُبَ لَهَا مُصْحَفًا وَقَالَتْ إِذَا بَلَغْتَ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ فَآذِنِّي { حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلاَةِ الْوُسْطَى} فَلَمَّا بَلَغْتُهَا آذَنْتُهَا فَأَمْلَتْ عَلَىَّ حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلاَةِ الْوُسْطَى وَصَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ . وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ . قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ سَمِعْتُهَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم .
'A'isha ordered me to transcribe a copy of the Qur'an for her and said: When you reach this verse:" Guard the prayers and the middle prayer" (ii. 238), inform me; so when I reached it, I informed her and she gave me dictation (like this): Guard the prayers and the middle prayer and the afternoon prayer, and stand up truly obedient to Allah. 'A'isha said: This is how I have heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).