What is the manner of the eclipse prayer and how many units does it have?
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The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah bless you, we want to know the manner of the eclipse prayer and the number of its units, and a person led the people in two units and read the short surahs in them, meaning
The Shaykh : which surah?
The questioner : Al-Ikhlas and the two protective surahs
The Shaykh : What Allah willed, Al-Ikhlas, and what was the second one?
The student: The two protective surahs
The Shaykh : The two protective surahs. First: What is the cause of the eclipse prayer and what is its reason? The eclipse of the sun and the moon, and the eclipse of the sun and the moon is a matter outside the norm to warn people and frighten them. Since it is a matter outside the norm, Allah the Exalted prescribed a prayer for it that is outside the norm. Did you understand? I said this so that you know the wisdom of Allah Mighty and Majestic in that the legislations are appropriate to the occurrences.
In the eclipse prayer, a person begins with the takbir of ihram, and before this, the announcement is made: "The prayer is a congregation," and the people gather in one mosque, not in every mosque, but in one mosque, which is the congregational mosque, and this is the best. Then he says takbir and reads al-Fatihah and reads a long surah—for example—al-Baqarah or al-Imran or a very long surah, al-Baqarah or al-Imran or the long surahs, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did that, until some of the Companions fainted from the length of the standing. Then he bows after this in a long, long bowing, then he raises his head and says: "Allah hears the one who praises Him, our Lord and to You is the praise," then he reads a long surah, but shorter than the first, then he bows in a long bowing, but shorter than the first, then he raises and stands and says: "Allah hears the one who praises Him, our Lord and to You is the praise" for the duration of his bowing, then he prostrates and lengthens the prostration like the bowing, then he sits between the two prostrations and lengthens the sitting like the prostration, then he prostrates the second time and lengthens it. This is the first unit.
The second unit is like it, except that it is shorter than it in everything he does, then he says taslim, and it is recommended that he admonish the people and remind them after the prayer, because this was the action of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). This is the established manner of the eclipse prayer from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and anything other than that, even if it is traced to the Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him), is not authentic, meaning: not authentic to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). However, it has been reported that he (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him) bowed three times, but it is anomalous. And we judged it to be anomalous because the eclipse did not occur in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) except once? The sun was eclipsed on the twenty-ninth of Shawwal in the year ten of the Hijrah, meaning in the last of the life of the Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him), and that coincided with the day of the death of Ibrahim, Ibrahim ibn Muhammad (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon his father and upon him be contentment). On that day, the sun was totally eclipsed until the Companions described it as a piece of copper or something similar.
And the total eclipse delays its clearing, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not leave until the sun cleared, and we estimate his prayer, and Allah knows best, to be three hours while he was standing (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him).
At this point, Paradise and Hell were shown to him (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him). Paradise was shown to him, so he advanced to take a cluster of grapes from it, but he did not wish to do so, because the pleasure of Paradise is in the Hereafter. And Hell was shown to him, so he retreated out of fear of its scorching, and great matters occurred and a great sermon from the Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him).
Therefore, we say: It is obligatory for Muslims to care and be grieved for this great event. And we hear in some Islamic countries that the eclipse or the lunar eclipse passes, but what? It is ordinary and they do not pray, some of them. And I heard that some of them go out to the desert with drums, beating drums, and I do not know what they say in their singing. Do you know anything about it, Adam?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, I heard that
The student: ...
The Shaykh : All of this is from religious innovations. This is the eclipse prayer, and it is the best of the manners, but it is permissible to add a third bowing in each unit, because it was reported from some of the Companions, but the best is what the Sunnah brought. And Subhanak Allah wa bihamdika, ashdhu an la ilaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk.
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah bless you, we want to know the manner of the eclipse prayer and the number of its units, and a person led the people in two units and read the short surahs in them, meaning
The Shaykh : which surah?
The questioner : Al-Ikhlas and the two protective surahs
The Shaykh : What Allah willed, Al-Ikhlas, and what was the second one?
The student: The two protective surahs
The Shaykh : The two protective surahs. First: What is the cause of the eclipse prayer and what is its reason? The eclipse of the sun and the moon, and the eclipse of the sun and the moon is a matter outside the norm to warn people and frighten them. Since it is a matter outside the norm, Allah the Exalted prescribed a prayer for it that is outside the norm. Did you understand? I said this so that you know the wisdom of Allah Mighty and Majestic in that the legislations are appropriate to the occurrences.
In the eclipse prayer, a person begins with the takbir of ihram, and before this, the announcement is made: "The prayer is a congregation," and the people gather in one mosque, not in every mosque, but in one mosque, which is the congregational mosque, and this is the best. Then he says takbir and reads al-Fatihah and reads a long surah—for example—al-Baqarah or al-Imran or a very long surah, al-Baqarah or al-Imran or the long surahs, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did that, until some of the Companions fainted from the length of the standing. Then he bows after this in a long, long bowing, then he raises his head and says: "Allah hears the one who praises Him, our Lord and to You is the praise," then he reads a long surah, but shorter than the first, then he bows in a long bowing, but shorter than the first, then he raises and stands and says: "Allah hears the one who praises Him, our Lord and to You is the praise" for the duration of his bowing, then he prostrates and lengthens the prostration like the bowing, then he sits between the two prostrations and lengthens the sitting like the prostration, then he prostrates the second time and lengthens it. This is the first unit.
The second unit is like it, except that it is shorter than it in everything he does, then he says taslim, and it is recommended that he admonish the people and remind them after the prayer, because this was the action of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). This is the established manner of the eclipse prayer from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and anything other than that, even if it is traced to the Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him), is not authentic, meaning: not authentic to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). However, it has been reported that he (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him) bowed three times, but it is anomalous. And we judged it to be anomalous because the eclipse did not occur in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) except once? The sun was eclipsed on the twenty-ninth of Shawwal in the year ten of the Hijrah, meaning in the last of the life of the Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him), and that coincided with the day of the death of Ibrahim, Ibrahim ibn Muhammad (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon his father and upon him be contentment). On that day, the sun was totally eclipsed until the Companions described it as a piece of copper or something similar.
And the total eclipse delays its clearing, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not leave until the sun cleared, and we estimate his prayer, and Allah knows best, to be three hours while he was standing (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him).
At this point, Paradise and Hell were shown to him (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him). Paradise was shown to him, so he advanced to take a cluster of grapes from it, but he did not wish to do so, because the pleasure of Paradise is in the Hereafter. And Hell was shown to him, so he retreated out of fear of its scorching, and great matters occurred and a great sermon from the Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him).
Therefore, we say: It is obligatory for Muslims to care and be grieved for this great event. And we hear in some Islamic countries that the eclipse or the lunar eclipse passes, but what? It is ordinary and they do not pray, some of them. And I heard that some of them go out to the desert with drums, beating drums, and I do not know what they say in their singing. Do you know anything about it, Adam?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, I heard that
The student: ...
The Shaykh : All of this is from religious innovations. This is the eclipse prayer, and it is the best of the manners, but it is permissible to add a third bowing in each unit, because it was reported from some of the Companions, but the best is what the Sunnah brought. And Subhanak Allah wa bihamdika, ashdhu an la ilaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk.