Chapter: The Eclipse Prayer

The sun and the moon are two signs of Allah; they are not eclipsed on account of anyones death or on account of anyone's birth. So when you see them, glorify and supplicate Allah, observe prayer, give alms. O Ummah of Muhammad, none is more indignant than Allah When His servant or maid commits fornication. O people of Muhammad, by Allah, if you knew what I know, you would weep much and laugh little.

" Verily the sun and the moon are among the signs of Allah." And similarly this addition was made:" He then lifted his hands and said: O Allah! have I not conveyed it?"

Allah listened to him who praised Him: our Lord, praise is due to Thee. He then again stood up and made a long recital, which was less than the first recital. He pronounced takbir and observed a long ruku', and it was less than the first one. He again said: Allah listened to him who praised Him; our Lord, praise is due to Thee. (Abu Tahir, one of the narrators) made no mention of:" He then prostrated himself." He did like this in the second rak'ah, till he completed four rak'ahs and four prostrations and the sun became bright before he deported. He then stood up and addressed people, after lauding Allah as He deserved, and then said: The sun and the moon are two signs among the signs of Allah These do not eclipse either on the death of anyone or on his birth. So when you see them, hasten to prayer. He also said this: Observe prayer till Allah dispels the anxiety (of this extraordinary phenomenon) from you. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: I saw in my place everything which you have been promised. I even saw myself desiring to pluck a bunch (of grapes) from Paradise (and it was at the time) when you saw me moving forward. And I saw Hell and some of its parts crushing the others, when you saw me moving back; and I saw in it Ibn Luhayy and he was the person who made the she-camels loiter about. In the hadith transmitted by Abu Tahir the words are:" He hastened to prayer," and he made no mention of what follows.

'A'isha reported that there was a solar eclipse during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him) and he sent the announcer (to summon them) for congregational prayer. The people gathered together and he pronounced takbir and he observed four rak'ahs, in the form of two rak'ahs (i. e. he observed two qiyams and two ruku's in one rak'ah) and four prostrations.

'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited loudly in the eclipse prayer , and he observed four rak'ahs in the form of two rak'ahs and four prostrations.

Kathir b. 'Abbas narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed four rak'ahs and four prostrations in two rak'ahs.

Kathir b. Abbas used to narrate that Ibn 'Abbas used to relate about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in regard to the eclipse of the sun like that what was narrated by 'Urwa on the authority of 'A'isha.

I heard 'Ubaid b. 'Umair say: It has been narrated to me by one whom I regard as truthful, (the narrator says: I can well guess that he meant 'A'isha) that the sun eclipsed during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he stood up (in prayer) for a rigorously long time. He then bowed and then stood up and then bowed and then stood up and then bowed, thus observing three ruku's in two rak'ahs and four prostrations. He then departed and the sun brightened. He pronounced" Allah is the Greatest" while bowing. He would then bow and say:" Allah listened to him who praised Him" while lifting up his head. He then stood up, and praised Allah and lauded Him, and then said: The sun and the moon do not eclipse on the death of anyone or on his birth. But both of them are among the signs of Allah with which Allah terrifies His servants. So when you see them under eclipse, remember Allah till they are brightened.

" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed six ruku's and four prostration in (two rak'ahs)."