How to Perform the Eclipse Prayer
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We want to know how to perform the eclipse prayer and the number of its units. A person led people in prayer for two units and recited Surat al-Ikhlas and the two chapters of protection in it?
First: The reason for the eclipse prayer is the eclipse of the sun and the moon. The eclipse of the sun and the moon is an event outside the ordinary, intended to warn people and make them fearful. Since it is an event outside the ordinary, Allah the Exalted prescribed a prayer for it that is outside the ordinary. I said this so that you may know the wisdom of Allah Mighty and Majestic in that the legislations are appropriate to the occurrences.
And the eclipse prayer begins with the person saying the takbir of entering prayer,And before this, the call is made from the minarets: The prayer is a congregation, and the people gather in one mosque, not in every mosque, but in one mosque, which is the Grand Mosque. This is the best. Then the imam says the takbir, recites al-Fatihah, and recites a long surah—for example, al-Baqarah or al-Imran or the long surahs; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did that. In fact, some of the Companions fainted from the length of the standing. Then he bows in a long bowing,Then he raises his head and says: May Allah hear the one who praises Him, Our Lord, and to You is the praise. Then he recites a long surah, but shorter than the first. Then he bows in a long bowing, but shorter than the first. Then he raises his head,And he says: May Allah hear the one who praises Him, Our Lord, and to You is the praise, for the duration of his bowing. Then he prostrates and lengthens the prostration like the bowing. Then he sits between the two prostrations and lengthens the sitting like the prostration. Then he prostrates the second time and lengthens it. This is the first unit. The second unit is like it, except that it is shorter in everything he does. Then he says the taslim. It is recommended that he admonish the people and remind them after the prayer; because this is what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did. This is the established description of the eclipse prayer from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And anything other than that, even if it is traced to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), is not authentic—Meaning: It is not authentic to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)—otherwise, it has been reported that he (peace and blessings be upon him) bowed three times, but it is anomalous. And we judged it to be anomalous because the eclipse did not occur in the time of the Messenger except once. The sun was eclipsed on the twenty-ninth of Shawwal in the tenth year of the Hijrah, at the end of the life of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And that coincided with the day of the death of Ibrahim, the son of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and upon him the pleasure of Allah). On that day, the sun was totally eclipsed, until the Companions described it: as a piece of copper or something similar.
And the total eclipse delays its clearing, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not leave until the sun cleared, and we estimate his prayer, and Allah knows best, to be three hours while he was standing (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him).
In this instance, Paradise and Hell were shown to him (peace and blessings be upon him). Paradise was shown to him, and he moved forward to take a cluster of grapes from it, but he did not wish to do so; because the pleasure of Paradise is in the Hereafter. And Hell was shown to him, and he moved back in fear of its scorching. And great matters occurred, and he delivered a great sermon,And for this reason we say: It is obligatory for Muslims to take this great event seriously. We hear in some Islamic countries that the eclipse or the lunar eclipse passes as if it were a day like any other day, and some of them do not pray. And I heard that some of them go out to the open fields with hand drums to beat them and sing,And I do not know what they say in their singing! The questioner: They have a supplication they say: There is no god but Allah, there is no god but Allah.
The Shaykh: All of this is religious innovation. So this is the eclipse prayer, and it is the best of the descriptions. But it is permissible to add a third bowing to each unit; because it was reported from some of the Companions. But the best is what the Sunnah brought.
The questioner: The announcement, if the eclipse is after one day.
The Shaykh: I see that it is not recommended to announce it; because if it is announced, its weight diminishes in the eyes of people, and it becomes as if it is a customary matter. So if it is left until it becomes clear to people. And announcing it created another problem: they announce the eclipse, and it is a small partial eclipse that is not clear. So some people rush and pray, as happened a year or two years ago when the eclipse was announced but it did not appear. And if it is announced but it does not appear, then the prayer is not permissible;Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (If you see it, then pray) .
And the eclipse, according to the astronomers, sometimes means the shadow, meaning: that the light diminishes but it is still clear.
And Glory is to You, O Allah, and praise. I bear witness that there is no god but You. I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You.
First: The reason for the eclipse prayer is the eclipse of the sun and the moon. The eclipse of the sun and the moon is an event outside the ordinary, intended to warn people and make them fearful. Since it is an event outside the ordinary, Allah the Exalted prescribed a prayer for it that is outside the ordinary. I said this so that you may know the wisdom of Allah Mighty and Majestic in that the legislations are appropriate to the occurrences.
And the eclipse prayer begins with the person saying the takbir of entering prayer,And before this, the call is made from the minarets: The prayer is a congregation, and the people gather in one mosque, not in every mosque, but in one mosque, which is the Grand Mosque. This is the best. Then the imam says the takbir, recites al-Fatihah, and recites a long surah—for example, al-Baqarah or al-Imran or the long surahs; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did that. In fact, some of the Companions fainted from the length of the standing. Then he bows in a long bowing,Then he raises his head and says: May Allah hear the one who praises Him, Our Lord, and to You is the praise. Then he recites a long surah, but shorter than the first. Then he bows in a long bowing, but shorter than the first. Then he raises his head,And he says: May Allah hear the one who praises Him, Our Lord, and to You is the praise, for the duration of his bowing. Then he prostrates and lengthens the prostration like the bowing. Then he sits between the two prostrations and lengthens the sitting like the prostration. Then he prostrates the second time and lengthens it. This is the first unit. The second unit is like it, except that it is shorter in everything he does. Then he says the taslim. It is recommended that he admonish the people and remind them after the prayer; because this is what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did. This is the established description of the eclipse prayer from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And anything other than that, even if it is traced to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), is not authentic—Meaning: It is not authentic to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)—otherwise, it has been reported that he (peace and blessings be upon him) bowed three times, but it is anomalous. And we judged it to be anomalous because the eclipse did not occur in the time of the Messenger except once. The sun was eclipsed on the twenty-ninth of Shawwal in the tenth year of the Hijrah, at the end of the life of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And that coincided with the day of the death of Ibrahim, the son of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and upon him the pleasure of Allah). On that day, the sun was totally eclipsed, until the Companions described it: as a piece of copper or something similar.
And the total eclipse delays its clearing, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not leave until the sun cleared, and we estimate his prayer, and Allah knows best, to be three hours while he was standing (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him).
In this instance, Paradise and Hell were shown to him (peace and blessings be upon him). Paradise was shown to him, and he moved forward to take a cluster of grapes from it, but he did not wish to do so; because the pleasure of Paradise is in the Hereafter. And Hell was shown to him, and he moved back in fear of its scorching. And great matters occurred, and he delivered a great sermon,And for this reason we say: It is obligatory for Muslims to take this great event seriously. We hear in some Islamic countries that the eclipse or the lunar eclipse passes as if it were a day like any other day, and some of them do not pray. And I heard that some of them go out to the open fields with hand drums to beat them and sing,And I do not know what they say in their singing! The questioner: They have a supplication they say: There is no god but Allah, there is no god but Allah.
The Shaykh: All of this is religious innovation. So this is the eclipse prayer, and it is the best of the descriptions. But it is permissible to add a third bowing to each unit; because it was reported from some of the Companions. But the best is what the Sunnah brought.
The questioner: The announcement, if the eclipse is after one day.
The Shaykh: I see that it is not recommended to announce it; because if it is announced, its weight diminishes in the eyes of people, and it becomes as if it is a customary matter. So if it is left until it becomes clear to people. And announcing it created another problem: they announce the eclipse, and it is a small partial eclipse that is not clear. So some people rush and pray, as happened a year or two years ago when the eclipse was announced but it did not appear. And if it is announced but it does not appear, then the prayer is not permissible;Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (If you see it, then pray) .
And the eclipse, according to the astronomers, sometimes means the shadow, meaning: that the light diminishes but it is still clear.
And Glory is to You, O Allah, and praise. I bear witness that there is no god but You. I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You.