Sahih Muslim 630
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
Al-Bara' b. 'Azib reported:
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ ، أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ آدَمَ ، حَدَّثَنَا الْفُضَيْلُ بْنُ مَرْزُوقٍ ، عَنْ شَقِيقِ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ ، قَالَ نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَصَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ . فَقَرَأْنَاهَا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ نَسَخَهَا اللَّهُ فَنَزَلَتْ { حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلاَةِ الْوُسْطَى} فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ كَانَ جَالِسًا عِنْدَ شَقِيقٍ لَهُ هِيَ إِذًا صَلاَةُ الْعَصْرِ . فَقَالَ الْبَرَاءُ قَدْ أَخْبَرْتُكَ كَيْفَ نَزَلَتْ وَكَيْفَ نَسَخَهَا اللَّهُ . وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ . قَالَ مُسْلِمٌ وَرَوَاهُ الأَشْجَعِيُّ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيِّ ، عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ ، عَنْ شَقِيقِ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ ، قَالَ قَرَأْنَاهَا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم زَمَانًا . بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ فُضَيْلِ بْنِ مَرْزُوقٍ .
This verse was revealed (in this way):" Guard the prayers and the 'Asr prayer." We recited it (in this very way) so long as Allah desired. Allah, then, abrogated it and it was revealed:" Guard the prayers, and the middle prayer." A person who was sitting with Shaqiq (one of the narrators in the chain of transmitters) said: Now it implies the 'Asr prayer. Upon this al-Bara' said: I have already informed you how this (verse) was revealed and how Allah abrogated it, and Allah knows best. Imam Muslim said: Ashja'i narrated it from Sufyan al-Thauri, who narrated it from al-Aswad b. Qais, who narrated it from 'Uqba, who narrated it from al-Bara' b. 'Azib who said: We recited with the Prophet (ﷺ) (the above-mentioned verse like this, i. e. instead of Salat al- Wusta, Salat al-'Asr) for a certain period. as It has been mentioned (in the above-quoted hadith).