The Eclipse and the Lunar Eclipse: Between a Natural Phenomenon and a Sign of Anger
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
May Allah reward you. This questioner says: Some people wrote in one of the newspapers that the solar and lunar eclipses are natural phenomena and are not a sign of Allah’s anger or His pleasure. They cited as evidence for this that we know when the eclipse occurs, and likewise the lunar eclipse.
Answer:
We have responded to this claim, and I hope the response will be published, if Allah wills. However, the eclipse is known through calculation without a doubt, because it results from the movement of the sun and the moon and their conjunction and separation. But this does not prevent it from being a sign of anger and a sign of punishment, because the sun may be obscured and not clear, and the Hour may stand. The moon may be obscured and not clear, and that may be a sign of punishment. When the Hour stands, does anyone know when the Hour will stand?
No one knows about this. And when the sun was eclipsed, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) came out in a state of alarm, dragging his cloak, fearing that it might be the Hour. He preached to the people after the prayer, reminded them, and ordered them to make supplication, seek forgiveness, and pray until what was affecting them was removed. Perhaps it may begin as a calculated phenomenon, but it changes and continues, and it becomes the standing of the Hour or an immediate punishment from Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). Who guarantees that the light of the moon will return? Who guarantees that the light of the sun will return? Is this not in the hand of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He)?
[Fussilat 41:37] So if you know through calculation that an eclipse will occur, do you know that the light of the sun and the light of the moon will return? Who guarantees this to you? This is in the hand of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you.
May Allah reward you. This questioner says: Some people wrote in one of the newspapers that the solar and lunar eclipses are natural phenomena and are not a sign of Allah’s anger or His pleasure. They cited as evidence for this that we know when the eclipse occurs, and likewise the lunar eclipse.
Answer:
We have responded to this claim, and I hope the response will be published, if Allah wills. However, the eclipse is known through calculation without a doubt, because it results from the movement of the sun and the moon and their conjunction and separation. But this does not prevent it from being a sign of anger and a sign of punishment, because the sun may be obscured and not clear, and the Hour may stand. The moon may be obscured and not clear, and that may be a sign of punishment. When the Hour stands, does anyone know when the Hour will stand?
No one knows about this. And when the sun was eclipsed, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) came out in a state of alarm, dragging his cloak, fearing that it might be the Hour. He preached to the people after the prayer, reminded them, and ordered them to make supplication, seek forgiveness, and pray until what was affecting them was removed. Perhaps it may begin as a calculated phenomenon, but it changes and continues, and it becomes the standing of the Hour or an immediate punishment from Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). Who guarantees that the light of the moon will return? Who guarantees that the light of the sun will return? Is this not in the hand of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He)?
And of His signs are the night and day and the sun and moon. Do not prostrate to the sun or to the moon, but prostate to Allah, who created them, if it should be Him that you worship.
وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ اللَّيْلُ وَالنَّهَارُ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ لَا تَسْجُدُوا لِلشَّمْسِ وَلَا لِلْقَمَرِ وَاسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُنَّ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَThe presenter:
May Allah reward you.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، محاضرات في العقيدة والدعوة-25-إنا كفيناك المستهزئين|صالح الفوزان|العام|كبار العلماء — youtube.com (1:03:27)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.