"Guard strictly the prayers," meaning: the five prayers; regarding their ablution, their times, and their bowing and prostration. "And the middle prayer," and it is among the five.
Yahya: From Uthman, from Abu Ishaq al-Hamdani, from al-Harith, from Ali, who said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was asked about the middle prayer, and he said: It is the 'Asr prayer, which the Prophet of Allah, Sulayman (peace be upon him), neglected."
﴿حَافظُوا على الصَّلَوَات﴾ يَعْنِي: الصَّلَوَات الْخمس؛ عَلَى وضوئها، ومواقيتها، وركوعها وسجودها ﴿وَالصَّلاةِ الْوُسْطَى﴾ وَهِي فِي الْخمس.
يَحْيَى: عَنْ عُثْمَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ الْهَمْدَانِيِّ، عَنِ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ: ((سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنِ الصَّلاةِ الْوُسْطَى فَقَالَ: هِيَ صَلاةُ الْعَصْرِ الَّتِي فَرَّطَ فِيهَا نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ سُلَيْمَانُ ﷺ).
