Sunan an-Nasa'i 223
سنن النسائي#223Sahihأَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَبِيبِ بْنِ عَرَبِيٍّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، عَنْ بُرْدٍ، عَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ نُسَىٍّ، عَنْ غُضَيْفِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ، قَالَ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ رضى الله عنها فَسَأَلْتُهَا قُلْتُ أَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَغْتَسِلُ مِنْ أَوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ أَوْ مِنْ آخِرِهِ قَالَتْ كُلَّ ذَلِكَ رُبَّمَا اغْتَسَلَ مِنْ أَوَّلِهِ وَرُبَّمَا اغْتَسَلَ مِنْ آخِرِهِ . قُلْتُ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي جَعَلَ فِي الأَمْرِ سَعَةً .
It was narrated that Ghudaif bin Al-Harith said:"I entered upon 'Aishah and asked her: 'Did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) perform Ghusl at the beginning of the night or at the end?' She said: 'Both. Sometimes he performed Ghusl at the beginning and sometimes at the end.' I said: 'Praise be to Allah who has made the matter flexible
Scholarly Authentication
The label above is the grade most of these scholars gave — one dissenting opinion no longer speaks for all of them. If any scholar calls a narration fabricated, that verdict is shown instead, whatever the others say. Each scholar's own wording:
In-book reference: 1:224