If the astronomers announce that an eclipse will occur at a specific time, is it permissible for the imam to inform the people behind him of the time of the eclipse so that they may attend, or should he not inform them?
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The questioner : The questioner says: O esteemed Shaykh, if the astronomers announce that an eclipse will occur at a specific time, is it permissible for the imam to inform the people behind him of the time of the eclipse so that they may attend, or should he not inform them until the eclipse occurs?
The Shaykh : What I see is that he should not inform them, and he should not spread the news even if he knows it, because if the people know about it in advance, they will not pay much attention to it, and they will consider it like the sighting of the crescent moon. The eclipse is a cause of awe and fear, and its prayer is a prayer of awe, not like the prayer of the festival, which is a prayer of joy and happiness, so it is announced. Therefore, concealing the news of the eclipse is far better than announcing it. This is what we see in this issue, and our Shaykh, Abdul Aziz ibn Baz, also sees it this way, and it is undoubtedly the better course. For this reason, you find that people now come to the eclipse prayer as if they are coming to the festival prayer. The eclipse occurs, and they come to pray, but you do not find the great awe that we experienced. People used to rush to the mosques, weeping, and you would find the mosque filled with the sound of weeping. But now it has become like the sighting of the festival crescent, and people come to pray. Therefore, I see that it should not be announced and should not be spread if a person hears about it, so that people come to it unexpectedly and experience the awe and fear of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Yes.
The Shaykh : What I see is that he should not inform them, and he should not spread the news even if he knows it, because if the people know about it in advance, they will not pay much attention to it, and they will consider it like the sighting of the crescent moon. The eclipse is a cause of awe and fear, and its prayer is a prayer of awe, not like the prayer of the festival, which is a prayer of joy and happiness, so it is announced. Therefore, concealing the news of the eclipse is far better than announcing it. This is what we see in this issue, and our Shaykh, Abdul Aziz ibn Baz, also sees it this way, and it is undoubtedly the better course. For this reason, you find that people now come to the eclipse prayer as if they are coming to the festival prayer. The eclipse occurs, and they come to pray, but you do not find the great awe that we experienced. People used to rush to the mosques, weeping, and you would find the mosque filled with the sound of weeping. But now it has become like the sighting of the festival crescent, and people come to pray. Therefore, I see that it should not be announced and should not be spread if a person hears about it, so that people come to it unexpectedly and experience the awe and fear of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Yes.