The Eclipse Prayers

What does an eclipse mean? What should people do when they see an eclipse?

Allah ﷻ has instructed His servants to contemplate and reflect over His creation. He has created the sun and the moon for our benefit and decreed their every movement. Allah says:

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ ۖ كُلٌّۭ فِى فَلَكٍۢ يَسْبَحُونَ ( سورة  الأنبياء : ٣٣ )

“And it is He who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon; all [heavenly bodies] in an orbit are swimming.” (Soorat al-Anbiya: 33)

He has provided the sun’s light and determined the moon’s phases as a sign for mankind:

هُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ ٱلشَّمْسَ ضِيَآءًۭ وَٱلْقَمَرَ نُورًۭا وَقَدَّرَهُۥ مَنَازِلَ لِتَعْلَمُوا۟ عَدَدَ ٱلسِّنِينَ وَٱلْحِسَابَ ۚ مَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ إِلَّا بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ يُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍۢ يَعْلَمُونَ ( سورة يونس : ٥ )

“It is He who made the sun a shining light and the moon a derived light and determined for it phases that you may know the number of years and account [of time]. Allah has not created this except in truth. He details the signs for a people who know.” (Soorat Yoonus: 5)

And Allah has confirmed that both the sun and the moon are signs for the creation:

وَمِنْ ءَايَـٰتِهِ ٱلَّيْلُ وَٱلنَّهَارُ وَٱلشَّمْسُ وَٱلْقَمَرُ ۚ( سورة  فصلت : ٣٧ )

“And from His signs are the night and day and the sun and moon” (Soorat Fussilat : 37)

Allah ﷻ has also made certain positions of the sun and the moon a sign for mankind. Whenever the sun’s light has been obstructed by the moon or whenever the moon appears in the shadow of the earth, Muslims should gather together to pray. This is because an eclipse is a sign from Allah that commonly evokes fear, causes alarm, and is often interpreted as a type of warning. Allah ﷻ says:

وَمَا نُرْسِلُ بِٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ إِلَّا تَخْوِيفًۭا ( سورة الإسراء : ٥٩ )

“And We do not send signs except as a waming” (Soorat al-Israa:59)

Before Islam, some people used to believe that eclipses occurred to mark the birth or death of an important person. So when Ibraaheem, the son of the Prophet, died on a day when there was an eclipse, some people may have thought that the two events were connected. But the Prophet ﷺ clarified for his Companions that the sun and moon do not eclipse for anyone when he said:

” إِنَّ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ آيَتَانِ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ لَا يَنْكَسِفَانِ قَوْتِ أَحَدٍ وَلَا لِحَيَاتِهِ فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمُوهُمَا فَادْعُوا اللَّهَ وَصَلُّوا حَتَّى يَنْجَلِي. ” (البخاري)

“The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of the death or life (i.e. birth) of someone. When you see the eclipse, pray and invoke Allah.” (al-Bukhaan)

Rather, the eclipse is a sign from Allah is for those who believe in Him and a recurring reminder of how Allah ﷻ is able to affect His creation by removing the light of the sun and the moon.

When an eclipse occurred during the time of the Prophet, he immediately rushed out to the masjid so quickly to pray with the people that he dragged his cloak. Then he informed the people of how the eclipse is a sign from Allah ﷻ . He also informed them of how an eclipse may be a sign which precedes the occurrence of Allah’s punishment so the Muslims should observe what may avert this situation through prayer, repentance, charity, and supplication whenever there is an eclipse.

Learning from the lesson

1. An eclipse is a sign from Allah
2. An eclipse does not occur because someone has died.
3. The Prophet ﷺ prayed the Eclipse Prayer and advised his Companions to pray when they see an eclipse.

Discussion

• Many Muslims today do not realize how an eclipse is a sign from Allah Discuss the importance of the Eclipse Prayer and why you think that an eclipse is considered a sign from Allah. Clarify what the Eclipse prayer means to you.