The Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) alarm at the eclipse
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The eclipse, as we know, is an extraordinary event that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) decrees as a warning and a source of fear for His servants. An eclipse of the sun occurred during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)—once, on the twenty-ninth of Shawwal in the tenth year of the Hijrah. This eclipse occurred at the beginning of the day when the sun had risen to the height of a spear or two spears. It was a great, total solar eclipse until the sun appeared like a piece of copper. The people were greatly alarmed by it, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came out in alarm, dragging his cloak.
The narrator said: He feared that the Hour might be approaching.And he (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that it be announced for her: He called for the congregation to pray, so the people, men and women, gathered with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the mosque. He established for this eclipse a unique prayer, a prayer with no counterpart in the other prayers, because it had an occasion with no counterpart. The Zuhr prayer is performed at the sun’s zenith as is customary, and the Maghrib prayer at the sun’s setting as is customary, but the eclipse is not customary, so its prayer is not customary.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed it with his companions and recited aloud in it; because the prayer is a congregational prayer in which people gather.For this reason, the scholars said: People should gather in the congregational mosques for the eclipse prayer, and it should not be held in every mosque; rather, the Sunnah is for people to gather in the congregational mosques, because this results in a larger number and is closer to being answered and receiving mercy. Indeed, the more the Muslim gathering increases, the closer they are to the mercy of Allah, as came in the hadith from 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is no day in which Allah frees more of His servants from the Fire than on the Day of 'Arafah" and that is because it is the day that gathers the largest number of Muslims in one place, where they hope for the reward of Allah the Exalted and fear His punishment.
The people gathered in the mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and he recited for them aloud, a long, long recitation, until some of them fell from their standing due to the intensity of the fatigue. As for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), there is no wonder that he stood this standing, because it was his custom to prolong standing until his feet would swell, or even crack.So it was said to him about that: “Have you not been forgiven for what has passed of your sin and what remains?”So he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Should I not be a grateful slave?” He prolonged the standing, then bowed and prolonged the bowing a long time, then raised his head and recited al-Fatihah, then recited a long, long recitation, but less than the first. Then he bowed a long bow, but less than the first bow. Then he raised his head after rising from the bow without recitation, but with praise, glorification, and magnification of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). He prolonged this standing to the extent of the length of the bow. Then he prostrated, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and prolonged the prostration approximately the length of his bow. Then he raised his head from the first prostration and sat, prolonging the sitting to the extent of the length of the prostration. Then he prostrated the second prostration and prolonged it like the first prostration. Then he stood for the second rak'ah and prayed it like the first, but with less recitation and less prolongation in the bowing and prostration. Then he concluded. He then stood among the people as a preacher, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and delivered an eloquent sermon in which he said: “Indeed, the sun and the moon are two signs among the signs of Allah. They do not eclipse for the death of anyone, nor for the life of anyone.” Because terrestrial events have no effect on the celestial bodies. The celestial bodies move by the command of Allah, and have no relation to what happens on earth. They change by the command of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), not for the loss of a great person, nor for the existence of a great person.
And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in this eloquent sermon: mentioned that Paradise was shown to him and he saw what is in it of bliss. He moved forward a little to take a cluster of grapes from it.And he said: “If I had taken it, it would have remained for you as long as the world remains.” But Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) interposed between him and it; because the time had not yet come, since the bliss of Paradise is not enjoyed by people except on the Day of Resurrection. Then the Fire was shown to him, until he (peace and blessings be upon him) recoiled and feared its scorching. He saw in it those who are being punished. He saw in it Amr ibn Luhy al-Khuza'i dragging his intestines in the Fire—his intestines, and refuge is sought in Allah—because he was the first to introduce shirk (associating partners with Allah) to the Arabs. He was the first to introduce idols and the practice of setting aside sacrificial animals, and he introduced to the Arabs various types of shirk and open sinfulness. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw him being punished in the Fire of Hell. He saw in it a woman being punished for a cat she had confined. She did not release it to eat from the creatures of the earth, nor did she feed it with drink and food, until the cat died, so she was punished for it.
And he (peace and blessings be upon him) saw the owner of the hook being punished in it. The owner of the hook is a man who steals from pilgrims with his hook. The hook is a stick with a bent head, and he passes by the pilgrim and snatches his belongings.If he noticed it, he said: This is what the hook snatched. And if he did not notice it, he would proceed with it and take it, and refuge is sought in Allah. He saw him being punished in the Fire of Hell.And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said in this sermon: “O Ummah of Muhammad! There is no one more jealous than Allah (Mighty and Majestic) that His male slave commits zina (unlawful sexual intercourse) or His female slave commits zina.” Meaning: Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has great jealousy. If the male slave commits zina or the female slave commits zina. For this reason, He (Glorified and Exalted is He) forbade the immoralities, what is apparent of them and what is hidden.
And when this verse was revealed, which is the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Surat al-Nur: 4] Sa'd ibn Ubadah said, and he was the chief of the Khazraj, and he was jealous (may Allah be pleased with him) to the extent that from his jealousy, no one dared to marry his wife after he separated from her.So he said: “O Messenger of Allah! What do you think if I saw Laka' ibn Laka'—and this is a description of blame—on my wife? Shall I go until I bring four witnesses? By Allah, I would strike him with the sword, not with the flat of the blade—meaning I would strike him with the edge of the sword, not the flat side, and kill him.So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Are you not amazed at the jealousy of Sa'd? By Allah, I am more jealous than Sa'd, and Allah is more jealous than me.” (peace and blessings be upon him).
So he (peace and blessings be upon him) explained in this hadith that Allah is jealous of the zina of a man or the zina of a woman, and that this is among the causes of the anger and punishment of Allah.And he said in this great sermon: “O Ummah of Muhammad! If you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much.” Meaning: If you were certain as I am certain, you would laugh little and weep much. But we do not have the certainty that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has.
The narrator said: He feared that the Hour might be approaching.And he (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that it be announced for her: He called for the congregation to pray, so the people, men and women, gathered with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the mosque. He established for this eclipse a unique prayer, a prayer with no counterpart in the other prayers, because it had an occasion with no counterpart. The Zuhr prayer is performed at the sun’s zenith as is customary, and the Maghrib prayer at the sun’s setting as is customary, but the eclipse is not customary, so its prayer is not customary.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed it with his companions and recited aloud in it; because the prayer is a congregational prayer in which people gather.For this reason, the scholars said: People should gather in the congregational mosques for the eclipse prayer, and it should not be held in every mosque; rather, the Sunnah is for people to gather in the congregational mosques, because this results in a larger number and is closer to being answered and receiving mercy. Indeed, the more the Muslim gathering increases, the closer they are to the mercy of Allah, as came in the hadith from 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is no day in which Allah frees more of His servants from the Fire than on the Day of 'Arafah" and that is because it is the day that gathers the largest number of Muslims in one place, where they hope for the reward of Allah the Exalted and fear His punishment.
The people gathered in the mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and he recited for them aloud, a long, long recitation, until some of them fell from their standing due to the intensity of the fatigue. As for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), there is no wonder that he stood this standing, because it was his custom to prolong standing until his feet would swell, or even crack.So it was said to him about that: “Have you not been forgiven for what has passed of your sin and what remains?”So he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Should I not be a grateful slave?” He prolonged the standing, then bowed and prolonged the bowing a long time, then raised his head and recited al-Fatihah, then recited a long, long recitation, but less than the first. Then he bowed a long bow, but less than the first bow. Then he raised his head after rising from the bow without recitation, but with praise, glorification, and magnification of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). He prolonged this standing to the extent of the length of the bow. Then he prostrated, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and prolonged the prostration approximately the length of his bow. Then he raised his head from the first prostration and sat, prolonging the sitting to the extent of the length of the prostration. Then he prostrated the second prostration and prolonged it like the first prostration. Then he stood for the second rak'ah and prayed it like the first, but with less recitation and less prolongation in the bowing and prostration. Then he concluded. He then stood among the people as a preacher, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and delivered an eloquent sermon in which he said: “Indeed, the sun and the moon are two signs among the signs of Allah. They do not eclipse for the death of anyone, nor for the life of anyone.” Because terrestrial events have no effect on the celestial bodies. The celestial bodies move by the command of Allah, and have no relation to what happens on earth. They change by the command of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), not for the loss of a great person, nor for the existence of a great person.
And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in this eloquent sermon: mentioned that Paradise was shown to him and he saw what is in it of bliss. He moved forward a little to take a cluster of grapes from it.And he said: “If I had taken it, it would have remained for you as long as the world remains.” But Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) interposed between him and it; because the time had not yet come, since the bliss of Paradise is not enjoyed by people except on the Day of Resurrection. Then the Fire was shown to him, until he (peace and blessings be upon him) recoiled and feared its scorching. He saw in it those who are being punished. He saw in it Amr ibn Luhy al-Khuza'i dragging his intestines in the Fire—his intestines, and refuge is sought in Allah—because he was the first to introduce shirk (associating partners with Allah) to the Arabs. He was the first to introduce idols and the practice of setting aside sacrificial animals, and he introduced to the Arabs various types of shirk and open sinfulness. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw him being punished in the Fire of Hell. He saw in it a woman being punished for a cat she had confined. She did not release it to eat from the creatures of the earth, nor did she feed it with drink and food, until the cat died, so she was punished for it.
And he (peace and blessings be upon him) saw the owner of the hook being punished in it. The owner of the hook is a man who steals from pilgrims with his hook. The hook is a stick with a bent head, and he passes by the pilgrim and snatches his belongings.If he noticed it, he said: This is what the hook snatched. And if he did not notice it, he would proceed with it and take it, and refuge is sought in Allah. He saw him being punished in the Fire of Hell.And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said in this sermon: “O Ummah of Muhammad! There is no one more jealous than Allah (Mighty and Majestic) that His male slave commits zina (unlawful sexual intercourse) or His female slave commits zina.” Meaning: Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has great jealousy. If the male slave commits zina or the female slave commits zina. For this reason, He (Glorified and Exalted is He) forbade the immoralities, what is apparent of them and what is hidden.
And when this verse was revealed, which is the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And those who accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses - lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from them testimony ever after. And those are the defiantly disobedient,
وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَأْتُوا بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَاءَ فَاجْلِدُوهُمْ ثَمَانِينَ جَلْدَةً وَلا تَقْبَلُوا لَهُمْ شَهَادَةً أَبَداً وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَSo he (peace and blessings be upon him) explained in this hadith that Allah is jealous of the zina of a man or the zina of a woman, and that this is among the causes of the anger and punishment of Allah.And he said in this great sermon: “O Ummah of Muhammad! If you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much.” Meaning: If you were certain as I am certain, you would laugh little and weep much. But we do not have the certainty that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has.