Is the eclipse prayer obligatory for every Muslim, and if it is obligatory, does a person pray it at home or go to the mosque, and if it is far away, what should he do?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Is the eclipse prayer obligatory for every Muslim? And if it is obligatory, does a person pray it at home or go to the mosque? And if the mosque is far away, what does he do? Please advise us, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment:
Before we address this question in terms of answering the questioner's query, we would like to clarify that an eclipse is the disappearance of one of the two luminaries, either completely, meaning its concealment from view, or partially. The former is called a total eclipse, and the latter is called a partial eclipse. There is no doubt that this eclipse occurs by the will of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained the wisdom behind it in his saying:Sahih al-Bukhari 1044.
So the eclipse is a warning from Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to the servants regarding an expected punishment. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded that when an eclipse occurs, whether of the sun or the moon, people should hasten to prayer, remembrance, supplication, saying Allahu Akbar, charity, and freeing slaves, as repentance to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and a return to Him.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed for this eclipse when the sun was eclipsed during his time, on the day his son Ibrahim (may Allah be pleased with him) died. He ordered a caller to announce: "The prayer is gathered." So the people gathered in the mosque, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led them in a strange prayer, which is in reality a legal sign because it differs from the other prayers, and it is also a cosmic sign that differs from the norm. He (peace and blessings be upon him) led them in a very, very long prayer, praying two rak'ahs, with two bowings and two prostrations in each rak'ah. Then he admonished them with a eloquent sermon, in which he said:Muwatta Malik 12:1.
The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed on whether the eclipse prayer for the sun or the moon is obligatory, such that people sin by leaving it, or whether it is recommended.
Most scholars held that it is recommended, but the stronger position is that it is an obligatory duty, either as a collective obligation or an individual obligation. This is due to the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for it, i.e., the prayer, his performance of it, his alarm regarding it, and his saying:. It is known that in a state of fear, one should, indeed must, turn to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) so that we may be among those who turn to Him in repentance.
So the correct view is that it is obligatory, either as a collective obligation or an individual obligation. It is not permissible for anyone to be absent from it if we say it is an individual obligation. However, if we say it is a collective obligation and a sufficient number of people perform it, then it is dropped from the rest.
As for its performance, it is best to be in the mosque where the Friday prayer is held, so that the people gather in it behind one imam. If the people pray it, each in his own mosque, there is no blame on them. If a person prays it at home, such as women, for example, there is no blame on him. The matter is broad in this regard, but it is best that the people gather in the mosque behind one imam.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment:
Before we address this question in terms of answering the questioner's query, we would like to clarify that an eclipse is the disappearance of one of the two luminaries, either completely, meaning its concealment from view, or partially. The former is called a total eclipse, and the latter is called a partial eclipse. There is no doubt that this eclipse occurs by the will of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained the wisdom behind it in his saying:
The sun and the moon are two signs against the signs of Allah; they do not eclipse on the death or life of anyone
إن الشمس والقمر آيتان من آيات الله لا ينخسفان لموت أحد ولا لحياته ، ولكن الله يخوف بهما عبادهSo the eclipse is a warning from Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to the servants regarding an expected punishment. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded that when an eclipse occurs, whether of the sun or the moon, people should hasten to prayer, remembrance, supplication, saying Allahu Akbar, charity, and freeing slaves, as repentance to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and a return to Him.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed for this eclipse when the sun was eclipsed during his time, on the day his son Ibrahim (may Allah be pleased with him) died. He ordered a caller to announce: "The prayer is gathered." So the people gathered in the mosque, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led them in a strange prayer, which is in reality a legal sign because it differs from the other prayers, and it is also a cosmic sign that differs from the norm. He (peace and blessings be upon him) led them in a very, very long prayer, praying two rak'ahs, with two bowings and two prostrations in each rak'ah. Then he admonished them with a eloquent sermon, in which he said:
By Allah, if you knew what I knew, you would laugh little and weep much
والله لو تعلمون ما أعلم لضحكتم قليلاً ولبكيتم كثيراًThe scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed on whether the eclipse prayer for the sun or the moon is obligatory, such that people sin by leaving it, or whether it is recommended.
Most scholars held that it is recommended, but the stronger position is that it is an obligatory duty, either as a collective obligation or an individual obligation. This is due to the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for it, i.e., the prayer, his performance of it, his alarm regarding it, and his saying:
Indeed, Allah frightens His servants with this eclipse.
إن الله يخوف عباده بهذا الكسوفSo the correct view is that it is obligatory, either as a collective obligation or an individual obligation. It is not permissible for anyone to be absent from it if we say it is an individual obligation. However, if we say it is a collective obligation and a sufficient number of people perform it, then it is dropped from the rest.
As for its performance, it is best to be in the mosque where the Friday prayer is held, so that the people gather in it behind one imam. If the people pray it, each in his own mosque, there is no blame on them. If a person prays it at home, such as women, for example, there is no blame on him. The matter is broad in this regard, but it is best that the people gather in the mosque behind one imam.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.