Question:
Dear Imam Mohsen,
as Salam alaykom,
There will be an eclipse of the moon tomorrow in shaa Allah. Is there a Duaa to be said if we see it? I heard there is a special prayer. Is that right?
Should we also perform the prayer / duaa even if it is cloudy and we don’t see the eclipse ourselves. In other words, should be still pray based on calculations that say when the Eclipse will occur?
Jazakom Allah khairan
The Answer:
Wa alaikum assalam,
Praise be to Allah.
Eclipses are signs from Allah, reminding the people that they have to turn back to Allah and pay attention to Him. Allah says: “And We sent not the signs except to warn, and to make them afraid (of destruction)” [al-Israa’ 17:39]
Before Islam, people used to believe that eclipses happened to mark the birth or death of a great person, but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) declared this belief to be false and explained the divine wisdom behind the occurrence of eclipses:
It was narrated that Ibn Mas’ood al-Ansari said: “the sun was eclipsed the day Ibrahem the son of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) died, and the people said, ‘The sun is eclipsed because of the death of Ibrahem.’ The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘The sun and the moon are two signs from Allah, and they do not become eclipsed for the death or the birth of anyone. If you see that, hasten to remember Allah and to pray.’” al-Bukhaari and Muslim.
What we should do during eclipses?
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded Muslims to pray when an eclipse happens, and to make du’aa’, seek His forgiveness, give charity, and do other righteous deeds so that if there is some punishment, hope that it would go away and not befall the people.
So the eclipse is a reminder to people, making them afraid so that they will turn back to Allah and pay attention to Him.
The time for Eclipses prayer (Salat al-Kusoof):
The time for Salat al-Kusoof lasts from the beginning of the eclipse even if it is cloudy and we can’t see the eclipse Physically because of cloud or something else, As long as the news coming from a reliable scientific sources, Indeed, If we don’t see it, it doesn’t mean it is not exists, so we have to pray until it is over, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When you see that, then pray.” al-Bukhaari and Muslim.
According to another hadeeth, “If you see anything of that, then pray until it is over.” (Narrated by Muslim).
How to pray Eclipses prayer (Salat al-Kusoof):
The Eclipse prayer is a special prayer, it is differ from the regular prayers, each Raka’ah has two rukoo’, two qiyam (standing) and two Sugoud, so the way in which Salat al-Kusoof is done is to pray two Rak’ahs in which Qur’an is recited aloud, according to the correct one out of the two scholarly opinions. In the first Rak’ah, one should recite al-Fatihah and a long surah such as Surat al-Baqarah or the equivalent, then do a long rukoo’, then raise one’s head and say, “Sami’a Allahu liman hamidah, Rabbanaa wa laka’l-hamd (Allah listens to the one who praises Him; our Lord to You be praise)” after standing upright, as in other prayers. Then one should then recite al-Fatihah and another long surah, shorter than in the first recitation, equivalent in length to Surat Aal ‘Imran. Then one should do another long rukoo’ shorter than the first, and when raising one’s head, say, “Sami’a Allahu liman hamidah, Rabbanaa wa laka’l-hamd hamdan katheeran tayyiban mubaarakan fih, mal’ al-samawaati wa mal’ al-ard wa mal’ ma shi’ta min shay’in ba’d (Allah listens to the one who praises Him; our Lord to You be praise, much good and blessed praise, filling heaven and earth and whatever You will besides that).” Then he should do two lengthy sujouds, without making the sitting between them too long. Then one should pray the second rak’ah like the first, with two long rukoo’s and two long sujouds, as he did in the first rak’ah. Then he should recite the Tashahhud and say the salam.
We ask Allah to guide us and to treat us with His great mercy.
And Allah knows the best.
Mohsen Shaker Bayoumy
Imam of Osaka Ibaraki Mosque