بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Salātul-kusūf/khusūf
Shaykh Sālih al-Fawzān said:
Al-Kusūf and Al-Khusūf are interchangeable and used to describe the solar and lunar eclipse. Others say al-kusūf is used to describe the lunar eclipse, and al-khusūf is used to describe the solar eclipse.
(Sharh Zād al-Mustaqnī 1/437)
The ruling on the solar/lunar eclipse prayer
Ibn Rushd said:
They (the jurists) agreed that the prayer for the solar eclipse is a sunnah. (Bidāyat al-Mujtahid 1/239)
Ibn Qudāmah said:
The eclipse prayer is a sunnah mu’akkadah (emphasised sunnah). (Al-Mughnī 2 /395)
Ibn Qudāmah said (regarding the lunar eclipse) :
Most of the people of knowledge hold that the prayer for the lunar eclipse is legislated; from them Ibn ‘Abbās, ‘Atā, Al-Hasan [al-Basrī], An-Nakha’ī, Shāfī, and Ishāq.
He (ﷺ) said: The sun and the moon are two of the signs from Allāh, and if you see them (eclipse), pray till the eclipse is over. (Sahīh Bukhārī 1212). He commanded to perform the prayer for them (solar/lunar eclipse) as one case.
It is narrated from ‘Ibn Abbās, he lead the people of Basrah with two rak’ah during the lunar eclipse, and he said: Verily I prayed as I saw the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) praying. Ibn Qudāmah said: that is because it is one of the two eclipses, and (the lunar eclipse) is similar to a solar eclipse. (Al-Mughnī 2/389)
Shaykh Uthaymīn said:
Most of the scholars hold that the prayers for the solar and lunar eclipse are a Sunnah mu’akkadah (emphasised sunnah).
Some of the scholars said that it is obligatory, either Fard ‘ayn (individual obligation) or Fard Kifāyah (collective obligation). As evidence they cite the command of the prophet (ﷺ)*, the basic principle with commands is obligation, and this is supported by the evidences which prove its importance. The least that may be said is that it is a collective obligation, this is our opinion. As for the majority, they have no evidence that it is not an obligation except the statement of the prophet (ﷺ) when a man asked him : “Is there anything other than the five daily prayers that is obligatory upon me?”, He said: “No, unless you wish to do so voluntarily.” (Bukhārī 46). But this does not negate the possibility of prayers other than the five daily prayers being obligatory, if some reason warrants that. (Fatāwā Arkān al-Islām 2/566)
*Ibn Khuzaymah collected in his Sahīh, under ‘The chapter of the command to establish the prayer upon the eclipse of the sun and moon’ 1/668:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of the death of anyone, rather they are two signs amongst the signs of Allāh. When you see them offer the prayer.”
Is the prayer performed individually or in congregation?
Ibn Qudāmah said:
It is more virtuous to pray it in congregation, as the prophet performed the prayer in congregation, and his sunnah is to perform the prayer in the mosque.
Ā’ishah narrated: In the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ) the sun eclipsed and he went to the Mosque and the people aligned behind him (Bukhārī 1046). (Al-Mughnī 2/390)
Shaykh Sālih al-Fawzān said:
However, it is permissible to pray it individually based on the general statement of the prophet, “So when you see them (sun and moon eclipse) , establish the prayer”. (Sharh Zād al-Mustaqnī 1/439)
Women offering the prayer alongside the men
Ibm Qudāmah said:
It is permissible for the women to pray with the men, as Ā’ishah and Asmā prayed alongside the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ). Narrated by Bukhārī [‘ Chapter: Offering of Eclipse prayer by women along with men’, hadith number 1053].(Al-Mughnī 2/390)
Is there a call to prayer?
Ibn Qudāmah said:
It is sunnah to call out: As-salāta jāmi’atan (the prayer in congregation), as narrated by Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr: ‘When the sun eclipsed during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ), they (the people) were called with ‘the prayer in congregation’ (Sahīh Muslim 910).
And there is no adhān or iqāmah performed, as the prophet performed the prayer without an adhān and iqāmah. (Al-Mughnī 2/390).
How the prayer is performed
- One performs two rak’ah.
- In the first rak’ah; one says the opening takbīr, the opening supplication, seeks refuge with Allāh from shaytān, and then recites sūrah al-Fātihah followed by a long Sūrah (i.e. al-Baqarah). Then one makes rukū’, prolonging it and glorifies Allāh during it. One rises from Rukū saying sami’a Allāhu liman hamidah, rabbanā wa lakal-hamd. One then recites sūrah al-Fātihah again, followed by a long Sūrah but shorter than the first (i.e. āli imrān). One then makes rukū, prolonging it but making it shorter than the first rukū. One then rises from Rukū to the standing position, and then performs sujūd twice, making them as long as the rukū.
- The second rak’ah; is performed in the same manner as the first rak’ah, except the length of the recitation following al-Fātihah is shorter than the recitation in the first rak’ah (i.e. one may recite al-Nisā/al-Māidah). Likewise the length of the rukū and sujūd is shorter than the first rak’ah. One then concludes the prayer with the tashahhud and taslīm.
In summary, the prayer consists of two rak’ah, with four rukū and four sujūd. With each rak’ah consisting of two rukū and two sujūd.
Ā’ishah narrated: There was a solar eclipse during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ). So, the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) went to the mosque and stood up, and the people formed themselves in rows behind him. The Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) made a long recital (of the Qur’ān) and then pronounced takbīr and then observed a long rukū. He then raised his head and said: Sami’a Allāhu liman hamidah, rabbanā wa lakal-hamd. He then again stood up and made a long recital, which was less than the first recital. He pronounced takbīr and observed a long rukū, and it was less than the first one. He again said: Sami’a Allāhu liman hamidah, rabbanā wa lakal-hamd. He did like this in the second rak’ah, till he completed four rak’ahs and four prostrations (in total)… (Sahīh Muslim 901)
‘Ā’ishah narrated : The Prophet (ﷺ) led us and performed four rukū in two rak’ah during the solar eclipse and the first rak’ah was longer (than the second). (Sahīh Bukhārī 1064).
(Al-Mughnī 2/391. Zād al-Mustaqnī 439).
The recitation is performed aloud
‘Ā’ishah narrated: The prophet (ﷺ) recited the Qur’ ān aloud during the eclipse prayer… (Sahīh Bukhārī 1065. Chapter ‘To recite aloud during the eclipse prayer’ . Abū Dawūd 1188. Declared Sahīh by Al-Albānī’)
Ibn Qudāmah said:
One recites aloud, whether (the prayer) falls in the day or night. (Al-Mughnī 2/391).
Ibn Abdul-Barr said: Among the evidence for those who say to recite out loud in the eclipse prayer, is the unanimous consensus of the scholars that every Sunnah prayer in which its Sunnah is to be prayed in congregation; the Sunnah is to recite out loud, like the prayer for rain and two ‘Īds, and so it (the ruling) is the same for the eclipse. (Al-Tamhīd 3/71)
Can one perform less/more than four rukū and sujūd?
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
This is the authentic narration regarding the eclipse prayer (i.e. Four rukū and four sujūd in total).
It has also been reported that he (ﷺ) performed it in different ways such as offering one or three or four rukū in each rak’ah.
However, the majority of the scholars such as Imām Ahmad, al-Bukhārī and al-Shāfī stated that these narrations are not authentic but a mistake.
Al-Bayhaqī said: Muhammad al-Bukhārī ignored the other three narrations (mention of more than two rukū in each rak’ah) and did not include them in his Sahīh as these narrations contradict other more established narrations, reported by narrators who are more reliable. Imām al-Tirmidhī narrated that al-Bukhārī said: ‘the most authentic narration regarding the eclipse prayer is the report of four rukū and four sujūd in total’.
Al-Bayhaqī also said: Other group of scholars from ahul-sunnah hold that the other narrations are affirmed and the number of rukū are legislated, such as Ishāq ibn Rahawayh, Muhammad ibn Khuzaymah, ibn al-Mundhir. [Also the opinion of Al-Tabarī as mentioned in Al-Tamhīd of Ibn Abdul-Barr 3/71). However the position that al-Bukhārī and Al-Shāfī took was better, as they gathered between the narrations and established which was more correct – as they all describe the prophet (ﷺ) offering the eclipse prayer when his son died.
Ibn Al-Qayyim continues: Imām Ahmad only accepted the narration narrated by ‘Ā’ishah of two rukū and two sujūd ( in each rak’ah). This is also the stance of the hanbali scholars of old, as well as the position of my shaykh; Abū al-‘Abbās ibn Taymiyah, who stated all the narrations that contradict that of’ Ā’ishahs are weak, reported in error. He said the Prophet (ﷺ) offered the eclipse prayer only once, when his son Ibrāhīm died. (Zād al-Ma’ād 3/204-215).
The time and length of the eclipse prayer
Sayyid Sābiq said:
The time of the eclipse prayer is from the beginning of the eclipse until the eclipse clears. (Fiqh as-Sunnah 2/36)
Shaykh Sālih al-Fawzān said:
Performing the eclipse prayer solely based on the information given by astronomers is not permitted, this is because the prophet (ﷺ) associated the prayer with the visual presence of the eclipse (Sahīh Bukhārī 1046). In the event that there is visual (of the eclipse), the prayer is offered. Otherwise, no action is to be taken. (Sharh Zād al-Mustaqnī 442)
Shaykhul-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah said:
The time of the eclipse may be long at times and short at others. This is in accordance to the amount of the part eclipsed of the sun; which may be entirely or partially eclipsed. (Majmū 24/260)
Delivering a sermon after the prayer
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
After the prayer, he (ﷺ) addressed the people, delivering an emotional speech. (Zād al-Ma’ād 3/205).
From what he (ﷺ) said:
Asmā’ narrated: Allāhs Messenger (ﷺ) finished the eclipse prayer and by then the sun (eclipse) had cleared. Then he delivered the Khutba (religious sermon) and praised Allāh as He deserved and then said “Amma ba’du.” (Sahīh Bukhārī 1061)
‘Ā’ishah narrated : (After the eclipse prayer) he (ﷺ) said, “The sun and the moon are two of the signs of Allāh. They do not eclipse because of the death or the life (i.e. birth) of someone. When you see them proceed for the prayer.” (Sahīh Bukhārī 1046)
Abū Mūsā narrated: Then he (ﷺ) said, “These signs which Allāh sends do not occur because of the life or death of somebody, but Allāh makes His worshipers afraid by them. So when you see anything thereof, proceed to remember Allāh, supplicate to Him and ask for His forgiveness.” (Sahīh Bukhārī 1059)
Asmā narrated: The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered people to manumit slaves during the solar eclipse. (Sahīh Bukhārī 1054)
(He (ﷺ) also said:) Everything you have been promised, I have seen in the prayer of mine. Paradise was brought to me till (I was so close to it) that if I (had intended) to pluck a bunch (of grapes) out of it. I would have got it, or he (ﷺ) said: I intended to get a bunch (out of that) but my hand could not reach it. Hell was also brought to me and I saw in it a woman belonging to the tribe of Isrā’īl who was tormented for a cat whom she had tied; she did not give it food nor set it free to eat the creatures of the earth; and I saw Abu Thumāma ‘Amr ibn Mālik (first person to introduce idol worship in Arabia) who was dragging his intestines in Hell. They (the Arabs) used to say that the sun and the moon do not eclipse but on the death of some great person; rather both these (the sun and the moon) are among the signs of Allāh which are shown to you; so when there is an eclipse, observe the prayer till its over. (Sahīh Muslim 904).
(also..) The people said “O Allāhs Messenger (ﷺ)! We saw you taking something from your place and then we saw you retreating.” The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, “I saw Paradise and stretched my hands towards a bunch (of its fruits) and had I taken it, you would have eaten from it as long as the world remains. I also saw the Hell-fire and I had never seen such a horrible sight. I saw that most of the inhabitants were women.” The people asked, “O Allāhs Messenger (ﷺ)! Why is it so?” The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, “Because of their ungratefulness.” It was asked whether they are ungrateful to Allāh. The Prophet said, “They are ungrateful to their companions of life (husbands) and ungrateful to good deeds. If you are benevolent to one of them throughout the life and if she sees anything (undesirable) in you, she will say, ‘I have never had any good from you.’ ” (Sahīh Bukhārī 1052)
(he (ﷺ) also said:)… I saw Paradise and Hell. It was also revealed to me that you would be tried in the graves, as you would be tried with something close to or like the tribulation of the Dajjāl. (Sahīh Muslim 905).
.. And then he (ﷺ) ordered the people to seek refuge with Allāh from the punishment of the grave. (Sahīh Bukhārī 1049)
Ā’ishah said: I heard after this the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) seeking refuge from the torment of Fire and the torment of the grave. (Sahīh Muslim 903).
Other recommended actions during an eclipse
- Dhikr (Remembrance of Allāh) – Sahīh Bukhārī 1059
- Du’ā (Supplicating to Allāh) – Sahīh Bukhārī 1059
- Takbīr (Declaring Allāhs greatness, i.e. Allāhu Akbar) – Sahīh Bukhārī 1044
- Istighfār (Seeking Allāhs forgiveness) – Sahīh Bukhārī 1059
- Sadaqah (Giving charity) – Sahīh Bukhārī 1044
- ‘Itqu (freeing slaves) – Sahīh Bukhārī 1054
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