Hadith record

8. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from ‘Abd Allah ibn Ja’far from Ayyub ibn Nuh who has said the following: “I once wrote to him (the Imam) (a.s.), saying, ‘Our people disagree on the issue of departure. Certain ones among them say that on the last day of departure, it is better to depart after Zawal (declining of the sun toward the west at noontime), and others say that it is before Zawal.’ He (the Imam) wrote in answer, ‘Did you not know that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, performed Salat (prayer) of al-Zuhr and al-‘Asr in Makkah? This could not have happened without his departing before Zawal.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.