English Translation

Ya'qub narrated to us, he said: My father narrated to us from Ibn Ishaq, he said: Yazid ibn Abi Habib al-Misri told me, from Marthad ibn 'Abdullah al-Yazani - and Yazan is a clan of Himyar - who said: Abu Ayyub Khalid ibn Zayd al-Ansari, a companion of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came to us in Egypt as a warrior, and 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir ibn 'Abs al-Juhani had been appointed over us by Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan. He delayed the Maghrib prayer, and when he had prayed, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari stood up to him and said, "O 'Uqbah, is this how you saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, pray the Maghrib? Did you not hear him, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say, 'My community will continue to be upon good' - or 'upon the natural way' - 'so long as they do not delay the Maghrib until the stars come out close together'?" He said, "Yes indeed." He said, "Then what made you do what you did?" He said, "I was occupied." Abu Ayyub said, "By Allah, my only concern is that people might think you saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, doing this."