Ibn Juraij narrates: I said to 'Atā', he narrated: I heard Ibn 'Abbās, may Allāh be pleased with them both, saying that:
one night the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ delayed the 'Ishā' prayer, until the people fell asleep and awoke, and fell asleep and awoke. Then 'Umar ibn al-Khattāb, may Allāh be pleased with him, stood up, so he said: Prayer (come)! 'Atā' said: Ibn 'Abbās, may Allāh be pleased with them both, narrated: Then the Prophet ﷺ came out — it is as if I am still looking towards him — water drops were falling from his head, and he had placed one of his hands upon his head. So he said: If it were not difficult upon my ummah, I would have commanded them to pray the 'Ishā' prayer at this time. Ibn Juraij said: I asked 'Atā': How had the Prophet ﷺ placed his hand upon his head, in the way that Ibn 'Abbās, may Allāh be pleased with them both, had described it? 'Atā' spread his fingers a little, then placed the tips of those fingers on one side of his head, then moved his joined fingers across his head, until his thumb touched the lobe of the ear, on the side where the ear is close to the face, near the temple and towards the beard. 'Atā' neither pulled his hand nor turned it, except in this same manner. And he said: If it were not difficult upon my ummah, I would have commanded them to pray at this time.
حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودٌ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي نَافِعٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم شُغِلَ عَنْهَا لَيْلَةً، فَأَخَّرَهَا حَتَّى رَقَدْنَا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، ثُمَّ اسْتَيْقَظْنَا ثُمَّ رَقَدْنَا ثُمَّ اسْتَيْقَظْنَا، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ قَالَ " لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الأَرْضِ يَنْتَظِرُ الصَّلاَةَ غَيْرُكُمْ ". وَكَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ لاَ يُبَالِي أَقَدَّمَهَا أَمْ أَخَّرَهَا إِذَا كَانَ لاَ يَخْشَى أَنْ يَغْلِبَهُ النَّوْمُ عَنْ وَقْتِهَا، وَكَانَ يَرْقُدُ قَبْلَهَا. قَالَ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ قُلْتُ لِعَطَاءٍ وَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، يَقُولُ أَعْتَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَيْلَةً بِالْعِشَاءِ حَتَّى رَقَدَ النَّاسُ وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا، وَرَقَدُوا وَاسْتَيْقَظُوا، فَقَامَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ فَقَالَ الصَّلاَةَ. قَالَ عَطَاءٌ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَخَرَجَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ الآنَ، يَقْطُرُ رَأْسُهُ مَاءً، وَاضِعًا يَدَهُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ فَقَالَ " لَوْلاَ أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لأَمَرْتُهُمْ أَنْ يُصَلُّوهَا هَكَذَا ". فَاسْتَثْبَتُّ عَطَاءً كَيْفَ وَضَعَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى رَأْسِهِ يَدَهُ كَمَا أَنْبَأَهُ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، فَبَدَّدَ لِي عَطَاءٌ بَيْنَ أَصَابِعِهِ شَيْئًا مِنْ تَبْدِيدٍ، ثُمَّ وَضَعَ أَطْرَافَ أَصَابِعِهِ عَلَى قَرْنِ الرَّأْسِ ثُمَّ ضَمَّهَا، يُمِرُّهَا كَذَلِكَ عَلَى الرَّأْسِ حَتَّى مَسَّتْ إِبْهَامُهُ طَرَفَ الأُذُنِ مِمَّا يَلِي الْوَجْهَ عَلَى الصُّدْغِ، وَنَاحِيَةِ اللِّحْيَةِ، لاَ يُقَصِّرُ وَلاَ يَبْطُشُ إِلاَّ كَذَلِكَ وَقَالَ " لَوْلاَ أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لأَمَرْتُهُمْ أَنْ يُصَلُّوا هَكَذَا ".
Reference: Sahih Al Bukhari 571