The eclipse prayer (salat al-kusuf)

The eclipse prayer is observed at the solar eclipse (kusuf) as well as at the lunar eclipse (khusuf). The fiqh encyclopedia sheets gathered here address 5 questions: the case of an eclipse occurring at a time in which prayer is prohibited, the status of the sermon of this prayer, how the schools perform it, what causes its time to lapse, and the prayer at the other signs of Allah such as violent wind or an earthquake. The positions of the 4 schools are presented with their evidence, their takhrij and their classical references.

The Eclipse Prayer at Times in Which Prayer Is Prohibited

The eclipse prayer consists of 2 rak'ahs performed in a state of alarm, like the other supererogatory prayers (Mukhtasar al-Quduri, 43; Bada'i' al-Sana'i', 1/282; Durrar al-Hukkam, 2/171; Hashiyat al-'Adawi, 1/37; al-Qawanin al-Fiqhiyya, 1/60; al-Kafi, 1/79; Bulghat al-Salik, 1/348; Rawdat al-Talibin, 2/83; al-Majmu', 6/111; al-Muhadhdhab, 1/122; Kashshaf al-Qina', 2/61; al-Mughni, 3/151; al-Ifsah, 1/263; Bidayat al-Mujtahid, 1/291, 295). Its foundation is the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):

The sun and the moon are 2 signs among the signs of Allah; they do not eclipse (in one version: they are not obscured) for the death of anyone, nor for his life. So when you see them, invoke Allah and pray until the eclipse clears.

Narrated by Bukhari (1008) and Muslim (901)

The time of the eclipse prayer. It runs from the beginning of the eclipse until it clears completely, according to the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "when you see them, invoke Allah and pray until the eclipse clears" (Bukhari, 999, 1009, and others). He thus made the clearing of the eclipse the limit of this prayer; and because it was legislated only out of the desire that Allah turn this sign away, once that happens the purpose of the prayer has been fulfilled (al-Mughni, 3/160; Mukhtasar al-Quduri, 43; Mawahib al-Jalil, 2/203; al-Majmu', 6/121).

The eclipse prayer during the prohibited times. The jurists differed when the eclipse occurs at the hours in which the Lawgiver prohibited prayer:

• The Hanafis and the Hanbalis, according to the apparent position of the madhhab, as well as Malik according to one version, hold that it is not prayed in the hours in which the Lawgiver prohibited prayer, like the other prayers: the worshipper replaces it with glorification (tasbih), the declaration of Allah's oneness (tahlil) and seeking forgiveness (istighfar). Al-Kasani (may Allah have mercy on him) explains: if this prayer is supererogatory, supererogatory prayers are disliked at these times; if it has its own cause, like the 2 rak'ahs of greeting and the 2 rak'ahs of tawaf; and if it is obligatory, performing obligations at these times is disliked (Bada'i' al-Sana'i', 1/282; Tuhfat al-Fuqaha, 1/184).
• The Shafi'is, as well as Imam Malik and Ahmad according to one narration from them, hold that it is prayed at every time, like the other prayers with a preceding or concomitant cause: the makeup (qada) prayer, the prayer for rain (istisqa), the 2 rak'ahs of ablution and the greeting of the mosque.
• A third version is reported from Malik: if the sun rises eclipsed, it is prayed immediately; if it enters the time of the asr eclipsed, or eclipses at either of these 2 moments, it is not prayed (al-Istidhkar, 2/415; Ihkam al-Ahkam, 2/141; 'Umdat al-Qari, 7/79; Hashiyat al-Dasuqi, 1/403; Bidayat al-Mujtahid, 1/294; Sharh Rawd al-Talib, 1/124; Rawdat al-Talibin, 2/83; al-Mughni, 3/161).

The Sermon of the Eclipse Prayer

The Hanafis, the Malikis and Ahmad, according to the most famous position reported from him, hold that no sermon is sunnah for this prayer. They rely on what Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reports: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) left after the sun had cleared, then he addressed the people, praised Allah and extolled Him, then said:

The sun and the moon are 2 signs among the signs of Allah; they do not eclipse for the death of anyone, nor for his life. When you see that, invoke Allah, magnify Him, pray and give charity. Then he said: "O community of Muhammad, by Allah, no one is more jealous (ghirah) than Allah when a male slave of His or a female slave of His commits fornication. O community of Muhammad, by Allah, if you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much."

Narrated by Bukhari (997) and Muslim (905)

They say: the Prophet commanded them prayer, supplication, takbir and charity, but did not command them a sermon; had it been sunnah, he would have commanded it. It is moreover a prayer that a single person performs in his house, so no sermon was legislated for it; and if the Prophet preached after the prayer, it was to teach the people its ruling, and this is specific to him.

The Shafi'is and Ahmad according to one version hold that it is sunnah for the imam to deliver 2 sermons after the prayer, described like the 2 Friday sermons in their pillars, conditions and the rest, according to the aforementioned hadith of Aisha.

Ibn Rushd (may Allah have mercy on him) said: the reason for their disagreement lies in their difference over the cause for which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) preached to the people when he left the eclipse prayer, as appears in the hadith of Aisha: she reported that when he left the prayer and the sun had cleared, he praised Allah and extolled Him, then said: "The sun and the moon are 2 signs among the signs of Allah... and the rest of the hadith.

Al-Shafi'i claimed that he preached only because the sermon belongs to the sunnah of this prayer, as with the 2 Eid prayers and the prayer for rain; some who held the view of the former group claimed that the Prophet's sermon that day was only because the people believed that the sun had eclipsed only for the death of Ibrahim, his son (peace be upon him) (Bidayat al-Mujtahid, 1/294-295; Bada'i' al-Sana'i', 1/282; al-Hidayah, 2/90; al-Bunayah, 3/171, 173; al-Umm, 1/245; Hilyat al-'Ulama', 2/269; al-Majmu', 6/120; al-Mughni, 3/158; al-Ifsah, 1/264; al-Mubdi', 2/197; al-Insaf, 2/448; Fath al-Bari, 2/620-621).

How the Eclipse Prayer Is Performed

There is no disagreement among the jurists that the eclipse prayer consists of 2 rak'ahs; they differed, however, over the manner of performing them. The 3 imams Malik, al-Shafi'i and Ahmad hold that each rak'ah contains 2 standings, 2 recitations, 2 bowings and 2 prostrations.

They support this with what Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) reports:

The sun eclipsed in the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Messenger of Allah prayed with the people: he stood for a long standing, about the length of Surat al-Baqara, then bowed for a long bowing, then raised his head and stood for a long standing, though shorter than the first, then bowed for a long bowing, shorter than the first bowing, then prostrated, then stood...

Narrated by Bukhari (1004) and Muslim (907)

They say: other narrations exist, but this one is the most famous in this chapter. The disagreement between the imams concerns completeness, not sufficiency or validity: whoever prays it in 2 rak'ahs like the sunnah of Dhuhr and the like has performed a valid eclipse prayer, but has left what is more perfect. The minimum of completeness according to them: making the intention (ihram) for the eclipse prayer, reciting the Fatiha, then bowing, then raising the head and being at rest, then bowing a second time, then rising and being at rest, then prostrating 2 prostrations: this is one rak'ah; then performing another rak'ah in the same way.

The highest degree of completeness: making the intention, reciting the opening invocation (istiftah), seeking refuge in Allah, reciting the Fatiha then Surat al-Baqara, or an equivalent length, then bowing for a long bowing while glorifying Allah for the measure of about one 100 verses, then rising from the bowing, glorifying and praising Allah while standing at rest, then reciting the Fatiha and a surah shorter than the first recitation: Surat Al 'Imran or its like, then bowing and prolonging the bowing without making it equal to the first, then rising, glorifying and praising Allah without prolonging the standing in between, then prostrating 2 long prostrations without prolonging the sitting between them, then standing for the second rak'ah and doing the same, remaining short of the first in length in everything one does, then pronouncing the tashahhud and giving the salam (Bulghat al-Salik, 1/350; al-Dhakhirah, 2/257; Bidayat al-Mujtahid, 1/291; Mawahib al-Jalil, 2/201; Asna al-Matalib, 1/286; Rawdat al-Talibin, 2/83; al-Majmu', 6/113, 123; al-Mughni, 3/153, 155; Kashshaf al-Qina', 2/62; al-Insaf, 2/442, 446).

The Hanafis hold that the eclipse prayer consists of 2 rak'ahs, each with a single bowing and 2 prostrations, like the other prayers. They rely on what Abu Bakrah reports:

The sun eclipsed in the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), so he came out dragging his garment until he reached the mosque, the people hurried to him, and he prayed with them 2 rak'ahs...

Narrated by Bukhari (1014)

They say: the unrestricted use of the word "prayer" refers to the well-known prayer. And in one version: "he prayed 2 rak'ahs as they pray" (narrated by an-Nasa'i, 1502; see Bada'i' al-Sana'i', 1/280-281; Tabyin al-Haqa'iq, 1/228; Sharh Musnad Abi Hanifa by Mulla 'Ali al-Qari, 1/41; 'Umdat al-Qari, 5/301).

Missing the Time of the Eclipse Prayer

The solar eclipse prayer is lost for one of 2 reasons. The first: the eclipse clearing completely; if only part of it clears, one may begin the prayer for what remains, as if the sun had only eclipsed to that degree. The second: its setting while still eclipsed. If clouds pass and one doubts the clearing, he prays, because the default is that the eclipse persists; if, however, the sun is behind the clouds and one doubts whether it eclipsed or not, he does not pray until he is certain, because the default is the absence of an eclipse.

The lunar eclipse prayer is likewise lost for one of 2 reasons: the eclipse clearing completely, or the rising of the sun (al-Majmu', 6/122; Rawdat al-Talibin, 2/87; al-Mughni, 3/160).

Reciting Aloud or Silently in the Eclipse Prayers

Abu Hanifa, Malik and al-Shafi'i hold that one does not recite aloud in the solar eclipse prayer, based on what Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) reports:

I was beside the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) on the day the sun eclipsed, and I did not hear his recitation.

Narrated by al-Tabarani in al-Kabir (11/240); al-Nawawi said in al-Majmu' (6/113) that al-Bayhaqi reported it in his Sunan in meaning, with a weak chain containing Ibn Lahi'ah

The hadith of Ibn Abbas also contains: "he stood for a long standing, about the length of Surat al-Baqara" (Bukhari, 4901, and Muslim, 907). They say: this is proof that he did not hear him, for had he heard him, he would not have measured it against something else. Samurah reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed during the solar eclipse and that he (Samurah) did not hear any sound from him (weak hadith, narrated by Abu Dawud, 1184, al-Tirmidhi, 562, an-Nasa'i, 1484, and Ibn Majah, 1264). A further argument: it is a daytime prayer, in which one does not recite aloud, like Dhuhr.

Imam Ahmad, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad among the Hanafis, as well as the position narrated by al-Tirmidhi from Imam Malik, hold that one recites aloud in it; according to the hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed the eclipse prayer and recited aloud in it.

Sahih hadith, narrated by al-Tirmidhi (563)

And because it is a supererogatory prayer for which congregation was legislated, reciting aloud belongs to its sunnahs, like the prayers for rain, the Eids and the Tarawih (Bada'i' al-Sana'i', 1/281-282; 'Umdat al-Qari, 5/303; Fath al-Qadir, 2/84; al-Sharh al-Saghir, 1/351; al-Ishraf, 1/144-145; Bidayat al-Mujtahid, 1/293; al-Majmu', 6/113-114; al-Mughni, 3/154; Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 2/452; al-Ifsah, 1/264; Nayl al-Awtar, 4/198-199).

As for the lunar eclipse prayer, they agreed on reciting aloud, based on what Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reports:

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited aloud in the prayer of the lunar eclipse.

Narrated by Bukhari (1016) and Muslim (901)

Prayer for the Other Signs of Allah

The jurists differed over prayer for the other signs of Allah, such as violent wind, the earthquake and the like: is a prayer legislated for them, or not?

• The Hanafis and Imam Ahmad according to one version hold that prayer is recommended for every alarming event: violent wind, the earthquake, darkness, persistent rain, the falling of stars and thunderbolts, because they are among the terrors and frights. It is indeed narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he prayed for an earthquake in Basra (narrated by Abd al-Razzaq in al-Musannaf, 3, hadith no. 4929, and al-Bayhaqi in his Sunan, 3/343); and because it is a sign among the signs of Allah by which Allah, exalted is He, frightens His servants.
• The Hanbalis, according to the madhhab, hold that one does not pray for any of that, except for a persistent earthquake, based on the fact that Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) did so; as for the rest, prayer for them is not transmitted from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) nor from any of his Companions.
• The Malikis say: prayer for these things is disliked without exception, apart from the eclipse; for the Prophet did not pray for anything else, although some of these signs occurred in his time, and likewise under his successors, and it is not established that any of them prayed for them.
• The Shafi'is say: there is no congregational prayer for signs other than the 2 eclipses; for these signs occurred and it is not transmitted that the Prophet prayed in congregation for any of them other than the eclipse. Rather, it is recommended to pray in one's house and to turn to Allah, exalted is He, in humble supplication upon seeing these signs.

Al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "No command is given for a congregational prayer at an earthquake, nor in darkness, nor for thunderbolts, nor for wind, nor for any other of the signs; the command is to pray individually, as they pray all the other prayers individually." (al-Umm, 1/246)

Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The Companions agreed that it is recommended to pray individually, supplicating Allah and turning to Him in humility, so as not to be heedless." (al-Majmu', 6/123; al-Hawi al-Kabir, 2/512; Hashiyat al-Ramli, 1/288; al-Fawakih al-Dawani, 1/279; Mawahib al-Jalil, 2/200; Bada'i' al-Sana'i', 1/182; Sharh Muntaha al-Iradat, 2/89; al-Mughni, 3/162; Kashshaf al-Qina', 2/65-66)