Discussion of the prayer for the eclipse.

The Shaykh : The chapter on the prayer for the eclipse is an instance of attributing a thing to its cause, not to its time. However, the prayer of Dhuhr is an instance of attributing a thing to its time, unless we say that the entry of the time is the cause for the obligation of the prayer. An eclipse is the obscuring of the light of the sun or the moon by what Allah the Exalted has made a veil. The sun is obscured by the moon, which comes between it and the earth, and the moon is obscured by the earth, which comes between it and the sun. This is because the light of the moon is derived from the sun. So when an obstacle prevents it, the light is obscured and the moon is eclipsed. For this reason, you find that when the crescent first appears, you find that it has no light, because the part of the moon facing the sun is very small. And as it gets closer to the sun, the facing decreases and the light decreases. The full facing is in the nights of the full moon. For this reason, a lunar eclipse cannot occur except in the nights of the full moon, and a solar eclipse cannot occur except in the nights of the new moon, that is, at the end of the month, where it is possible for the moon to come between the earth and the sun.
As for the statement of some scholars regarding the eclipse that it is the disappearance of the light of one of the two luminaries or part of it, there is a consideration in this, because it does not disappear, but rather there is a veil.
Then, the eclipse has two causes: a cosmic cause and a legal cause.
As for the cosmic cause, it is what we mentioned to you, which is this sensory cause. What is the cause of the lunar eclipse?
The student: ...

The Shaykh : That the earth comes between it and the sun. The cause of the solar eclipse is that the moon comes between it and the earth.
We do not know the legal cause, but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) informed us of it, where he said:
And the author’s statement that the prayer for the eclipse is a confirmed recommended practice (sunnah muakkadah) provided us with three benefits. The first benefit is that it is not obligatory. The second benefit is that it is not an absolute recommended practice (sunnah mutlaqah). The third benefit is that it is a confirmed recommended practice. The confirmed recommended practice is stronger than the absolute recommended practice. The Hanafis, the followers of Abu Hanifah, have agreed to call the obligatory (wajib) a confirmed recommended practice. So when they say confirmed recommended practice, it means obligatory. But according to the Hanbalis and most of the scholars of usul al-fiqh, the confirmed recommended practice is that whose performance is demanded with certainty.
The correct view is that the prayer for the eclipse is obligatory. The evidence for its obligation is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and all the people gathered and he performed that long prayer. And what was presented to him of the signs of Allah the Mighty and Majestic, from Paradise and the Fire, was shown. And in some wordings of the hadith, he ordered to rush to the prayer as if an enemy had raided the Muslims, so they rushed to repel it. And he ordered charity, seeking forgiveness, saying Allahu Akbar, and freeing slaves. All these indications point to the fact that its performance is what? Obligatory. And at the least, we should say that it is a collective obligation (fard kifayah), not an individual obligation (fard 'ayn). As for the eclipse or lunar eclipse occurring and the people remaining in their worldly affairs, buying and selling, enjoying and being luxurious, as if nothing had happened, this, if it indicates anything, indicates a lack of concern and the people’s non-compliance with the warning of Allah the Mighty and Majestic. So the correct view is that it is obligatory, and the least we can say is that it is a collective obligation. If someone says, did not the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) mention the five prayers to the Bedouin and say: ? We say, yes, but the intended meaning of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) by that is the daily repeated prayer. As for the prayer that has a cause, this is linked to its causes. Yes.
The reader: As narrated by Abu Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: And from Aisha, she said.

The Shaykh : And as for his statement: Because the sun was eclipsed during the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) when his son Ibrahim died. His son Ibrahim died when he was sixteen months old, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) grieved for him, and his eyes overflowed, and he said: So the people said: It was eclipsed because of the death of Ibrahim, because they had a defective belief in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance (jahiliyyah) that the sun and moon are not eclipsed except when a great person dies or a great person is born. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) invalidated this belief, because there is no effect of earthly events on celestial conditions. Celestial conditions are elevated; whatever happens on earth does not affect them. But Allah may punish the people of the earth with celestial conditions like lightning and thunder and the like. But that what happens on earth is an active cause that changes the weather, this is not correct at all.
And we benefited from his statement: That if it were to happen that the sun was eclipsed after it had set, then what? There is no prayer. And if it was eclipsed before it rose, there is no prayer. And if there is heavy cloud that obscures its view from us, there is no prayer. Even if we know by the report of the astronomers that there is an eclipse, we do not take their word until we see it. If you see it. And Allah the Glorified and Exalted may obscure the view of the eclipsed sun or moon as a mercy for the people, so this becomes a veil from Allah the Mighty and Majestic, to frighten these people, so the prayer is not obligatory in this case.
And his statement: Is it an explanation of the reason or a limit? Yes, is the meaning: Pray and supplicate so that what is with you is removed, or continue in that until it is removed?
The students: ...
The Shaykh: Yes.
The students: ...

The Shaykh : There is a possibility of this and that. If we say "so that it is removed," it means that we are content with the minimum prayer because we have created the cause. And if we say "until it is removed," then we pray until it is removed. And on this, if we know that the eclipse will last a long time, then at that time we lengthen the prayer, if we make "until" for what? The limit. And if we finish the prayer and it does not clear, then here the scholars differed. Some say the prayer is repeated, and some say it is not repeated. But if we make it for the explanation of the reason, it is known that the minimum prayer is a cause, so two rak'ahs suffice for that, even if they are light. But the more apparent is that it is what? That it is for the limit, and that we are commanded to pray until what is with us is removed. Yes.
The reader: And from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), she said: .

The Shaykh : Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
The reader: Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

The Shaykh : This is also from the legal signs of Allah that he prayed a prayer with no parallel. He prayed two rak'ahs, in each rak'ah two bowings and two prostrations. In the other prayers, in each bowing there is one and two prostrations. But because the cause of this prayer is a cosmic sign, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made it a legal sign, departing from the customary and the known. Yes.
The reader: And it is permissible in congregation and individually, due to the general command for it in the hadith of Abu Mas'ud. And congregation is better due to the action of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for it in congregation. And it is called for with "The prayer is gathered" for the hadith. And it is performed in the mosque for the report, and because there is tightness in its time, so if they went out to the prayer ground, it would be feared that they would miss it.

The Shaykh : Yes, these are issues. First, that congregation is better because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called for it, saying "The prayer is gathered," and he gathered them, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him.
And in it also is that if they performed it individually, there would not be a display of fear from the people, because every person prays in his house and no one knows about it.
And his statement: "It is performed in the mosque, not the prayer ground" means the prayer ground for the festival. It is performed in the mosque, but is it performed in every mosque as is the case of people today, or in the congregational mosques? The answer is the second: it is performed in the congregational mosques, this is the best. But if it is feared that people will be lazy about it if it is said "pray in the congregational mosques," then there is no harm in it being performed in every mosque.
And his statement: "The prayer is gathered" Is it with the accusative case or the nominative case?
The student: ...

The Shaykh : Both ways are permissible: "The prayer is gathered" (accusative) meaning "Attend, the prayer is gathered" (nominative), and it is permissible "The prayer is gathered" as a subject and predicate. Yes.
The reader: Chapter on the description of the prayer for the lunar eclipse.