By Ustādh Danyāl Khan:
Performance:
Once the sun has begun to eclipse, perform two units of sunnah prayer followed by supplication for the duration of the solar eclipse. This can be performed individually or behind an imam, in the masjid or otherwise.
Details:
- The prayer begins only once the eclipse begins.[i] The prayer may be performed so long as the eclipse endures but cannot be performed once the eclipse has ended entirely.[ii] It can only be prayed at time where supererogatory prayers are permissible.[1]
- The individual designated as an Imam to lead the Friday prayer, ‘Īd prayer,[iii] or an individual who can fulfill that capacity, may establish the prayer.[2]
- It can be prayed in the masjid or outside in congregation, and if praying alone, wherever one is.[3]
- If praying alone, then one is to pray either two or four units; the latter is preferred when praying individually.[4]
- The prayer is conducted without the calls to prayer, i.e., adhān and iqāmah, but rather the following phrase is said, “اَلصَّلَاةُ جَامِعَةٌ” (the prayer is a gathering).[5]
- It is a sunnah prayer[iv] which is prayed as a standard two-unit supererogatory prayer with a single bowing and two prostrations in each unit, like in other prayers.[6] The standing, bowing, and prostrations[7] are all lengthened extensively.[8]
- The recommendation is to lengthen the recitation[9], the bowing, and the prostration in the prayer.[v] It is recommended to recite Sūrat al-Baqarah in the first unit and Sūrat Āle ‘Imrān in the second unit.[vi] Shortening the prayer is permitted.[vii] If the prayer is shortened, then the subsequent supplication should be extended until the eclipse concludes.[viii] The combination should be conducive to concentration and khushū’ in the prayer.[ix] The combination of prayer and supplication should fill the length of the eclipse until the sun is completely visible.[x]
- The recitation should be inaudible[10], but it is possible to render it audible for a reason.[11]
- After the prayer, the Imam supplicates until the sun reappears.[xi] The Imam may sit and face the qiblah while supplicating or turn and face the people while supplicating, the latter of which is superior.[xii] The people are to say, “Āmīn” (آمين) upon his supplication so long as he continues to do so.[xiii] The Imam should not ascend the pulpit to supplicate.[xiv]
- There is no stipulated sermon after the prayer.[12]
عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ، قَالَ خَسَفَتِ الشَّمْسُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَخَرَجَ يَجُرُّ رِدَاءَهُ حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ، وَثَابَ النَّاسُ إِلَيْهِ فَصَلَّى بِهِمْ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، فَانْجَلَتِ الشَّمْسُ فَقَالَ “ إِنَّ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ آيَتَانِ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ، وَإِنَّهُمَا لاَ يَخْسِفَانِ لِمَوْتِ أَحَدٍ، وَإِذَا كَانَ ذَاكَ فَصَلُّوا وَادْعُوا حَتَّى يُكْشَفَ مَا بِكُمْ ”. وَذَاكَ أَنَّ ابْنًا لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ مَاتَ، يُقَالُ لَهُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ، فَقَالَ النَّاسُ فِي ذَاكَ.
Narrated Abū Bakrah: During the lifetime of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ the sun eclipsed and he went out dragging his claok till he reached the masjid. The people gathered around him and he led them in two units of prayer. When the eclipse ended, he ﷺ said, “The sun and the moon are signs amongst the signs of Allāh, they do not eclipse because of the death of someone. So, when they occur, pray and supplicate until the eclipse ends.” It so happened that the son of the Prophet ﷺ, Ibrāhīm, had passed away and the people were speaking about that [attributing the eclipse to his death[xv]].[xvi]
[1] (Sharḥ Mukhtaṣar al-Ṭahāwī li’l-Jaṣṣāṣ). It cannot be prayed at sunrise, at Zenith, and after the prayer of ‘Aṣr until after sunset. In those cases, supplication should be made so long as the eclipse endures or until the disliked time, upon which they should pray (Kitāb al-Āthār).
[2] The basis of the madhhab is that the Imam of the Friday congregation performs the prayer in the congregational masjid (Mukhtaṣar al-Qudūrī, Nūr’l-Īḍāḥ, Radd’l-Muḥtār). Alternatively, the sultan may appoint an individual to lead (Nūr’l-Īḍāḥ, Radd’l-Muḥtār). However, the objective of the assignment of the appointed Imam is to ward of disagreement and dispute (Marāqī’l-Falāḥ, Hidāyah, Radd’l-Muḥtār). Therefore, in places where there is no state-appointed Imam, any Imam who is designated to perform the Friday congregational prayer may establish the prayer with a congregation. Likewise, the congregation or organizational management may appoint an Imam, as is done for the Friday congregation in the West.
[3] The basis of the madhhab is to pray it in the congregational masjid or the muṣalla of ‘īd (Ḥāshiyah Ṭaḥṭāwī ‘alā Marāqī, Radd’l-Muḥtār) The general permissibility of praying outside is derived from the permissibility of praying at the muṣalla.
[4] (Mukhtaṣar al-Qudūrī, Nūr’l-Īḍāḥ, Marāqī’l-Falāḥ) If praying alone, it is permitted to pray four units of prayer (Marāqī’l-Falāḥ, Ḥāshiyah, Radd’l-Muḥtār). It is better to pray four units when praying alone (Kāsanī, Radd’l-Muḥtār).
[5] (Nūr’l-Īḍāḥ). Both الصَّلَاةُ جَامِعَةٌ and الصَّلَاةَ جَامِعَةً are valid. (Radd’l-Muḥtār).
[6] (Mukhtaṣar al-Qudūrī, Nūr’l-Īḍāḥ, Radd’l-Muḥtār). There are several narrations which describe the single historical instance of this prayer with contradictory details in the number of units of prayer, bowing, and prostration. Imām Ṭaḥāwī presents the preponderance of narrations which depict two standards units of prayer and strengthens them over all other narrations (Sharḥ Ma’ānī al-Āthār).
[7] The bowing and prostration should be filled with supplication and adhkār as reciting is not permitted in them (Radd’l-Muḥtār).
[8] (Marāqī’l-Falāḥ). The standing and the bowing in the second unit are made shorter than in the first (Badā’i al-Sanā’i).
[9] (Mukhtaṣar al-Qudūrī, Nūr’l-Īḍāḥ, Marāqī’l-Falāḥ, Radd’l-Muḥtār). Normally, it is disliked for the Imam to extend the prayer, but this is an exception. (Marāqī’l-Falāḥ, Radd’l-Muḥtār).
[10] According to Abū Ḥanīfah it is an inaudible prayer but according to Qāḍī Abū Yūsuf and Imām Muḥammad, it is recited audibly (Mukhtaṣar al-Qudūrī, Marāqī’l-Falāḥ, Radd’l-Muḥtār). There have been other reports from Imām Muḥammad on this issue. (Badā’i al-Sanā’i, Radd’l-Muḥtār). As for the position which permits audibility, it is on the basis of veneration, such the Friday and ‘Īd prayers (Sharḥ Mukhtaṣar al-Ṭahāwī li’l-Jaṣṣāṣ, Badā’i al-Sanā’i).
[11] If the imam were to lengthen the prayer, such as reciting Sūrat al-Baqarah and Āle ‘Imrān, then it is possible to leverage the opinion of the two to facilitate khushū’ in the prayer for the congregants.
[12] (Mukhtaṣar al-Qudūrī, Nūr’l-Īḍāḥ, Radd’l-Muḥtār). Had there been an address, it would have been prior to the prayer and not after it. (Radd’l-Muḥtār). In the ḥadīth literature, the Prophet ﷺ addressed those who were claiming that the sun eclipsed due to the passing of his son. Some have misunderstood this to be a sermon, but rather he ﷺ was simply refuting those who made the false claim. (Badā’i al-Sanā’i, Ḥāshiyah Ṭaḥṭāwī ‘alā Marāqī).
[i] (Mukhtaṣar al-Qudūrī, Nūr’l-Īḍāḥ).
[ii] (Radd’l-Muḥtār).
[iii] (Badā’i al-Sanā’i, Ḥāshiyah Ṭaḥṭāwī ‘alā Marāqī).
[iv] (Ḥāshiyah Ṭaḥṭāwī ‘alā Marāqī, Radd’l-Muḥtār).
[v] (Nūr’l-Īḍāḥ, Radd’l-Muḥtār).
[vi] (Marāqī’l-Falāḥ, Radd’l-Muḥtār).
[vii] (Marāqī’l-Falāḥ, Radd’l-Muḥtār).
[viii] (Marāqī’l-Falāḥ, Radd’l-Muḥtār).
[ix] (Radd’l-Muḥtār).
[x] (Hidāyah, Radd’l-Muḥtār).
[xi] (Mukhtaṣar al-Qudūrī, Nūr’l-Īḍāḥ, Radd’l-Muḥtār).
[xii] (Marāqī’l-Falāḥ, Radd’l-Muḥtār, Radd’l-Muḥtār).
[xiii] (Marāqī’l-Falāḥ, Radd’l-Muḥtār).
[xiv] (Radd’l-Muḥtār).
[xv] (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1043, 1060).
[xvi] (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1063).
