Fath al-Rabbani

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) says: In the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the sun was eclipsed. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up for prayer, and we also stood with him. He (peace and blessings be upon him) stood for such a long time that we thought he would not bow (ruku’). Eventually, he (peace and blessings be upon him) bowed, and it seemed he would not raise his head from ruku’, then he raised his head and fell into prostration (sajdah), and it seemed he would not raise his head from that either. Eventually, he raised his head and sat (in the sitting position) for so long that it seemed he would not perform the second prostration, then he prostrated, and it seemed he would not raise his head from prostration. Then he performed the second rak’ah in the same manner as the first. When he was in prostration of the second rak’ah, he began to blow on the ground and weep, and he began to say: O Lord! Why are You punishing them while I am among them? O Lord! Why do You punish us while we are seeking forgiveness from You? Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his head, and the sun had become clear. Then, after completing the prayer, he (peace and blessings be upon him) praised and glorified Allah and said: O people! Surely the sun and the moon are two signs among the signs of Allah. So when you see either of them losing light, seek refuge in the mosques out of fear. By the One in Whose hand is my soul! Paradise was presented before me (and brought so close) that if I wished, I could have plucked a branch from it. And the Fire was also presented before me (and brought so close) that I was blowing on it out of fear that it might engulf you. I saw in it a tall, dark woman from the tribe of Himyar; she was being punished because of a cat. She had tied it up, neither feeding nor giving it water herself, nor letting it go so it could eat the insects of the earth, (the state of punishment was that) whenever she moved forward, the cat would scratch her from the front, and when she turned back, it would scratch her from behind. I also saw in the Fire a man from the tribe of Banu Dadda’, and I saw the man with the staff; he was leaning on his staff in the Fire. (His crime was that) he used to steal the belongings of pilgrims with his staff. So when people found out, he would say: I am not stealing, this thing just got stuck to my staff.