Narrated Mu'adh ibn Jabal:We waited for the Prophet (ﷺ) to offer the night prayer. He delayed until people thought that he would not come out and some of us said that he had offered the prayer. At the moment when we were in this condition the Prophet (ﷺ) came out. People said to him as they were already saying. He said: Observe this prayer when it is dark, for by it you have been made superior to all the peoples, no people having observed it before you.
حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عُثْمَانَ الْحِمْصِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا حَرِيزٌ، عَنْ رَاشِدِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ حُمَيْدٍ السَّكُونِيِّ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ مُعَاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ، يَقُولُ ارْتَقَبْنَا النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي صَلاَةِ الْعَتَمَةِ فَأَخَّرَ حَتَّى ظَنَّ الظَّانُّ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ وَالْقَائِلُ مِنَّا يَقُولُ صَلَّى فَإِنَّا لَكَذَلِكَ حَتَّى خَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالُوا لَهُ كَمَا قَالُوا فَقَالَ لَهُمْ " أَعْتِمُوا بِهَذِهِ الصَّلاَةِ فَإِنَّكُمْ قَدْ فُضِّلْتُمْ بِهَا عَلَى سَائِرِ الأُمَمِ وَلَمْ تُصَلِّهَا أُمَّةٌ قَبْلَكُمْ " .
AbuDaud
Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat) • Hadith 421