In his Musnad ...

In his Musnad , Ahmad ibn Hanbal, the founder of the Hanbali school of jurisprudence, thus narrates on the authority of Jabir ibn Zayd: أخبرني جابر بن زيد أنه سمع ابن عباس يقول: صليت مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وأله وسلم ثمانياً وجميعاً سبعاً جميعاً. قال: قلت: له يا أبا الشعثاء أظنه أخر الظهر وعجّل العصر وأخّر المغرب وعجل العشاء. قال: وأنا أظن ذلك.

Jabir ibn Zayd reports: I heard Ibn ‘Abbas say: I prayed behind the Apostle of Allah (S) eight ( rak‘ah s) in combination, and seven rak‘ah s in combination. I (one of the narrators) said: O Abu Sha‘tha’, I think that he (the Holy Prophet) had delayed zuhr prayer and offered ‘asr prayer soon afterward, and he delayed magrib prayer and offered ‘isha’ prayer soon afterward.

He said: I also think so.[^4] It is evident from this tradition that the Holy Prophet (S) performed ‘asr immediately after zuhr , and ‘isha’…