Is the sermon obligatory in the prayer for the eclipse?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : I said to him: The Muslims need this...
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : In the prayer for the eclipse, the Messenger (peace be upon him) delivered a sermon.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : ...the occasion has passed, so if a Muslim prays without a sermon, it is not necessary.
The questioner : Is it permissible?
The Shaykh : One may pray without a sermon, so the sermon is not necessary, but if the imam knows that there are beliefs and superstitions prevalent in people's minds on the occasion of the solar or lunar eclipse, then the sermon is obligatory.
The questioner : Yes, to clarify it for the people; because it is an opportunity.
The Shaykh : ...In Syria, we had a superstition that when the moon is eclipsed, the whale swallows it!
Another questioner : Do you have such a superstition?
The questioner : There is such talk...
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly ... .
The questioner: Allah is the Greatest!
The Shaykh : ...So in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, there was a belief that if the sun or moon was eclipsed, that was proof that a great man had died. And Allah, in His wisdom and His subtle decree, decreed that Ibrahim would die on the day the sun was eclipsed, so that people would say—by the standard of their ignorance: "The sun was eclipsed only because of the death of Ibrahim." Here the occasion arose, so the Messenger (peace be upon him) delivered a sermon and said:.
A sermon like this is necessary if there are people who believe in such nonsense. Today, as far as I know, there is no such pre-Islamic mentality that if the sun is eclipsed, it is because of the death of a great person. There is no such belief. But today there is a belief contrary to that; and it is from the philosophy of those who study modern studies. They tell you: What does this matter have to do with it? This is a natural phenomenon where the earth enters between the sun and the moon, so the earth blocks the light of the sun from the moon, so what happens? This is the lunar eclipse.
The questioner : How, Professor?
The Shaykh : How? If it happens, is it not by the will and decree of Allah? Of course.
The questioner : It may be correct, but you must believe that it is by the will of Allah. This is how Allah decreed that there would be an eclipse.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : Nothing will happen to you, and otherwise, it is truly as the Shaykh said, the shadow of the earth and the shadow of the earth between the moon and... and the sun does this. This is by the will of Allah, He decrees that on such a day, at such a minute.
The Shaykh : ...This phenomenon, now you see it as darkness... this is a reminder.
The questioner: Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : In the prayer for the eclipse, the Messenger (peace be upon him) delivered a sermon.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : ...the occasion has passed, so if a Muslim prays without a sermon, it is not necessary.
The questioner : Is it permissible?
The Shaykh : One may pray without a sermon, so the sermon is not necessary, but if the imam knows that there are beliefs and superstitions prevalent in people's minds on the occasion of the solar or lunar eclipse, then the sermon is obligatory.
The questioner : Yes, to clarify it for the people; because it is an opportunity.
The Shaykh : ...In Syria, we had a superstition that when the moon is eclipsed, the whale swallows it!
Another questioner : Do you have such a superstition?
The questioner : There is such talk...
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly ... .
The questioner: Allah is the Greatest!
The Shaykh : ...So in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, there was a belief that if the sun or moon was eclipsed, that was proof that a great man had died. And Allah, in His wisdom and His subtle decree, decreed that Ibrahim would die on the day the sun was eclipsed, so that people would say—by the standard of their ignorance: "The sun was eclipsed only because of the death of Ibrahim." Here the occasion arose, so the Messenger (peace be upon him) delivered a sermon and said:
O people, indeed the sun and the moon are two signs among the signs of Allah. They do not eclipse for the death of anyone or for his life. So when you see that, pray, give charity, and supplicate.
يا أيها الناس ، إنَّ الشمس والقمر آيتان من آيات الله لا تنكسفان لموت أحد ولا لحياته ، فإذا رأيتم ذلك فصلُّوا وتصدَّقوا وادعواA sermon like this is necessary if there are people who believe in such nonsense. Today, as far as I know, there is no such pre-Islamic mentality that if the sun is eclipsed, it is because of the death of a great person. There is no such belief. But today there is a belief contrary to that; and it is from the philosophy of those who study modern studies. They tell you: What does this matter have to do with it? This is a natural phenomenon where the earth enters between the sun and the moon, so the earth blocks the light of the sun from the moon, so what happens? This is the lunar eclipse.
The questioner : How, Professor?
The Shaykh : How? If it happens, is it not by the will and decree of Allah? Of course.
The questioner : It may be correct, but you must believe that it is by the will of Allah. This is how Allah decreed that there would be an eclipse.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : Nothing will happen to you, and otherwise, it is truly as the Shaykh said, the shadow of the earth and the shadow of the earth between the moon and... and the sun does this. This is by the will of Allah, He decrees that on such a day, at such a minute.
The Shaykh : ...This phenomenon, now you see it as darkness... this is a reminder.
The questioner: Yes.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.