If it is said that there will be a lunar or solar eclipse on such-and-such a day, is this considered knowledge of the unseen? Should a person seek it out? And do you advise people that every imam should pray in his own mosque, or should they gather in one large mosque, whether in the neighborhood or the town? And do women go out to that prayer?

The questioner : May Allah reward the honorableThe Shaykh : It has spread among people that there will be a lunar or solar eclipse on Monday. Is this considered knowledge of the unseen? Should a person seek it out? And do you also advise people that every imam should pray in his own mosque if it occurs, or should they gather in one large mosque, whether in the neighborhood or the town? Please guide us on this. And do women go out to that prayer?

The Shaykh : As for knowledge of a lunar eclipse or a solar eclipse, it is not from the knowledge of the unseen, because it has known physical causes. Muslim scholars have mentioned this from ancient times, that knowledge of an eclipse is not from the knowledge of the unseen. As for the prayer of the eclipse, what appears to me is that it is a collective obligation (fard kifayah); if a sufficient number of people perform it, it drops off the rest. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded it and said: He used the word "panic" (faza'), which indicates that the matter is very great and not trivial. He (peace and blessings be upon him) also informed us that Allah the Exalted frightens the servants with them. So if a lunar eclipse appears at night, people pray. If it is during the day, they do not pray, because the effect of a lunar eclipse during the day does not appear, meaning it is not discernible, because the light of the sun has covered it. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) only made the prayer a recommended practice (sunnah) where the effect of that is apparent, so that the fear is realized. It is known that if the moon is eclipsed after the light has spread across the horizon, there is no fear, because people do not know about it. As for anticipating it, some scholars said there is no harm in preparing for it and waiting for it, but I see the opposite of this. I see that if a person is tested and it appears to him, let him pray. If it does not appear, let him praise Allah for safety. It was said to us that the anticipated lunar eclipse will be after the light has spread, either shortly before the sun, or after the sun rises, or after the moon sets. Allah knows best. Yes. And on this basis, there would be no prayer. The jurists (may Allah have mercy on them) stated that if the dawn appears and the moon is eclipsed after that, there is no prayer, based on the fact that the prayer of the eclipse is a voluntary prayer, and voluntary prayer is not performed in the times of prohibition. But I see that if the eclipse appears and is discernible such that its light remains, then it is prayed for. As for if it is after the light has spread and the light of the moon has faded, then it is not prayed for, and Allah knows best. As for what is better, the best is that it is prayed in the large mosque. That is, the prayer of the eclipse in the large mosques is the best, because the gathering of people behind one imam has its value. Their supplication is one, their humility is one, and the sermon that is delivered after the prayer is one. Likewise, women attend, because women attended in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when the sun was eclipsed. But it is not like the festival prayer; they are not commanded to do it, nor are they forbidden from it. As for the festival prayer, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded women to attend the festival prayer, even the menstruating women, he commanded them to go out, but they should stay away from the prayer area. Yes.