Eclipse Prayer (Islam)
Eclipse prayer in Islam is a special prayer performed during a solar eclipse (Ṣalāt al-kusūf)[lower-alpha 1] and a lunar eclipse (Ṣalāt al-Khusūf).[lower-alpha 2][1] These prayers are considered Sunnah (commendable) and serve as reminders of God's majesty and power over the universe. The Islamic Prophet Muhammad is reported to have mentioned that eclipses are sign from Allah and instructed Muslims to perform special prayers during them.[2]
History
It is reported that on 27 January 632 CE, during the lifetime of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, a solar eclipse occurred.[3][4] Some members of the community associated the eclipse with his death, reflecting pre-Islamic beliefs.[5][6][7] Muhammad, however, clarified that eclipses are among the signs of God and are not caused by human births or deaths, thereby rejecting such associations.[8]
Following this event, he led the community in Salat al-Kusuf (solar eclipse prayer).[9] According to a hadith sources, Muhammad performed the prayer from the beginning of the eclipse until the sun became clear.[10] Reports in Sunan an-Nasa'i, Sahih Muslim, and Sahih al-Bukhari, describe the prayer as lengthy, with extended periods of qiyam (standing), ruku (bowing), and sujud (prostration). Following the prayer, He is reported to have delivered a khutbah (sermon), stating:[4][11]
The sun and the moon are two of God’s signs; they are not eclipsed on account of anyone’s death or birth, so when you see that, supplicate God, declare His greatness, pray and give alms...
— Mishkat al-Masabih, Book 4, Hadith 883[12]
Early Islamic scholars recorded the procedure, timing, and etiquette of these prayers, formalizing the ritual as part of the Sunnah. Over time, the practice has been observed consistently across the Islamic world, with variations according to different jurisprudential schools (madhhabs). Today, eclipse prayers are performed in many Muslim communities worldwide, with most mosques holding congregational prayers during solar and lunar eclipses. Prominent examples include congregations at Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina,[13] as well as in mosques across the Arab world and other regions with significant Muslim populations.
Practice
Both solar and lunar eclipse prayers consist of two rak'aat with prolonged bowings (ruku) and prostrations (sujud). They can be performed individually or in congregation, with slight variations depending on jurisprudential schools.
Jurisprudential differences
Scholars across Islamic jurisprudence have differed regarding the preferred manner of performing the Eclipse Prayer and its minimum requirements. However, all scholars agree that it is sufficient to perform the prayer as two rak‘ahs, similar to other voluntary prayers.
The Shafi‘i and Hanbali schools recommend performing both solar and lunar eclipse prayers in congregation. In these schools, including the Maliki school, each rak‘ah has two rukus (bowings), and qiyams (standings), with prolonged bowing and prostration, and minor differences exist in the duration of recitations and supplications.[14]
The Hanafi and Maliki schools recommends performing the eclipse prayer in congregation only during a solar eclipse, while for a lunar eclipse it is preferred to pray individually.[15] In Hanafi, each rak‘ah consists of a single extended ruku (bowing), no adhan or iqamah is recited, and no khutbah follows the prayer.[16][17][18]
Shia Islam observes a form of obligatory prayer known as Salat al-ayat (sign prayer) during certain natural phenomena. It consists of two rak‘aat, each containing five rukus, for a total of ten bowings. Events warranting Salat al-ayat include solar and lunar eclipses, earthquakes, or extraordinary natural occurrences causing fear among people.[19]
Eclipse prayer during forbidden times
Islamic jurists differ regarding the timing of the eclipse prayer during forbidden times for voluntary prayers. According to the Hanafi and Hanbali schools, the eclipse prayer is not required if it occurs at times when prayer is generally prohibited.[20] The Maliki school holds that the eclipse prayer should only be performed during times when voluntary prayers are permitted. Ibn Qasim transmitted Imam Malik’s view that the solar eclipse prayer is to be observed between Duha and Dhuhr.[21] In contrast, Al-Shafi'i allowed the eclipse prayer to be performed at any time, including during times normally forbidden for prayer.[22][23][14]
Notes
References
- ↑ Hughes 1885, p. 14.
- ↑ Stearns 2021, p. 137.
- ↑ "EclipseWise – Eclipses of History: Part 2: Solar Eclipses of the Middle Ages". www.eclipsewise.com.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Phipps 2016, p. 40.
- ↑ Hitti 2008.
- ↑ Maqsood 1994, p. 60.
- ↑ "History Encyclopedia - The death of Ibraaheem, the son of the Prophet ﷺ". Aldorar Alsaniyyah. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
- ↑ "ٍSahih al-Bukhari 1060 - Eclipses - كتاب الكسوف". Sunnah.com. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ↑ Shari`ah Researchers. "Solar & Lunar Eclipses: A Muslim Perspective". islam online. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
- ↑ "Sunan Abi Dawud 1194 - The Book Of The Prayer For Rain (Kitab al-Istisqa')". Sunnah.com. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
- ↑ Kamran Ali 2024, p. 44.
- ↑ "Mishkat al-Masabih 1483 - Prayer". Sunnah.com. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ↑ "Kingdom's mosques hold prayers amid last solar eclipse of the year". Arab News. Jeddah. 25 October 2022. Archived from the original on 2025-10-03. Retrieved 2025-10-03. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 14.0 14.1 "AL-SHĀFI'Ī'S PERSPECTIVE ABOUT THE ECLIPSE PRAYER AT FORBIDDEN TIMES FOR PRAYING". Al-Hilal: Journal of Islamic Astronomy. 5 (2). 2023.
- ↑ IslamQA (2020-02-09). "The Status of the Lunar Eclipse Prayer". IslamQA. Retrieved 2025-10-03.
- ↑ Brown 2007, p. 256.
- ↑ Kızılkaya 2021, p. 222.
- ↑ Five Schools of Islamic Fiqha (jurisprudence). Peermahomed Ebrahim Trust. 1976. p. 136. Search this book on
- ↑ "Lesson 49: Salat al-ayaat (Prayer of signs)". al-islam.org. 2014-05-25. Retrieved 2025-10-03.
- ↑ Al-Juzayri 2016, p. 656.
- ↑ Ibn Rushd 2023.
- ↑ ibn Abdurrahman 2015.
- ↑ al-Shafi'i 1961, p. 119.
Sources
- Stearns, Justin K. (2021-07-08). Revealed Sciences: The Natural Sciences in Islam in Seventeenth-Century Morocco. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107065574. Search this book on
- Hughes (1885). A Dictionary of Islam Being a Cyclopaedia of the Doctrines. Allen. Search this book on
- Maqsood, Ruqaiyyah Waris (1994-03-01). Thinking about God. American Trust Publications. ISBN 9780892591473. Search this book on
- Hitti, Edwin E. (2008). Basic Mechanics of Islamic Capitalism. ArabCham. ISBN 9789881721723. Search this book on
- Astrology & Islam. Kamran Ali, Abu Zayd. 2024-09-12. ISBN 9798339055402. Search this book on
- Brown, Jonathan A. C. (2007-06-05). The Canonization of Al-Bukhārī and Muslim. BRILL. ISBN 9789004158399. Search this book on
- Kızılkaya, Necmettin (2021-03-15). Legal Maxims in Islamic Law: Concept, History and Application of Axioms of Juristic Accumulation. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-44467-6. Search this book on
- al-Shafi'i, Muhammad ibn Idris (1961). al-Umm الأم (in العربية). Cairo: Maktabah al-Kulliyyah. p. 119. ISBN 9789771503194. Search this book on
- Al-Juzayri. Fikih Empat Mazhab (in Bahasa Indonesia). I. p. 656. ISBN 9789795927167. Search this book on
- Ibn Rushd (2023). Al Mujtahid Wa Nihayat Al Muqtasid [The Distinguished Jurist's Primer - Vol 1: A Translation of Bidayat Al Mujtahid Wa Nihayat Al Muqtasid]. Translated by Khan Nyazee, Imran Ahsan. Dar Ul Thaqafah. ISBN 978-81-19005-76-5. Search this book on
- ibn Abdurrahman, Muhammad (2015). Rahmah al-Ummah fi Ikhtilaf al-A'immah (in Bahasa Indonesia). Bandung: Hasyimi. Search this book on
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