The eclipse prayer: how many rakahs it is

Sayyiduna Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari Uqbah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Once, in the blessed time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the sun was eclipsed. The people said that the sun had been eclipsed because of the death of Ibrahim, the son of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). At this the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The moon and the sun are not eclipsed for anyone's life or anyone's death. They are signs of Allah; when you see them eclipsed, then pray."

Sayyiduna al-Nu'man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed the eclipse prayer like your prayer, and in it he bowed and prostrated.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Once, in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the sun was eclipsed. He stood and we stood, and he said: "O people! The sun and the moon are signs of Allah; when either of them is eclipsed, then hasten to the mosques."

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in the eclipse prayer with eight bowings and four prostrations.

The same is reported from Tawus from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), without mention of Ibn Abbas.

Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Once, in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the sun was eclipsed. He promptly engaged in prayer and continued praying until the sun became clear. When the sun had become clear, he praised and extolled Allah Almighty and said: "The sun and the moon are signs of Allah; they are not eclipsed for anyone's death or life. They are signs of Allah; when you see them eclipsed, then pray and give charity."

The same is reported through another chain with different wording, except that in it there is: "then say Allahu akbar and supplicate."

Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: In the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when his son Ibrahim passed away, the sun was eclipsed. The people said that the sun had been eclipsed because of Ibrahim's death. At this the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led the people in prayer with six bowings and four prostrations. First he said the takbir, then recited, and made the recitation long; then he bowed about as long as he had stood. Then he raised his head from bowing and recited less than the first recitation; then he bowed about as long as he had stood. Then he raised his head from bowing and recited less than the second recitation; then he bowed about as long as that standing. Then he raised his head from bowing and went down for the prostrations and made two prostrations. Then he stood and made three bowings, each bowing being longer than the one after it, and his bowings were about as long as his prostrations. Then he moved back, and the people standing in the rows behind him also moved back, until they reached the women. Then he moved forward and the people moved forward with him, until he came and stood in his place. Then, when the sun had become bright, he completed the prayer and said: "O people! The sun and the moon are signs of Allah; they are not eclipsed for anyone's death. When you see them eclipsed, then pray until they become clear."

Al-Sa'ib bin Malik said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed two rak'ahs at the solar eclipse.

Al-Hasan said that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) prayed the eclipse prayer with ten bowings and four prostrations.

Tawus said: Once the sun was eclipsed in the time of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both). Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) led two rak'ahs near Zamzam and made four prostrations in each rak'ah.

Sayyiduna Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: In the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) the sun or the moon was eclipsed, and he said: "The sun and the moon are signs of Allah; they are not eclipsed for anyone's death. When you see them eclipsed, then pray until they become clear."

Ibrahim said: The predecessors used to say: When the sun is eclipsed, pray until it becomes clear.

Sayyidah Asma' (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Once, in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the sun was eclipsed, and he prayed so long that I fainted. He completed the prayer after the sun had become clear.

Abd al-Rahman bin Abi Layla said: So-and-so and so-and-so narrated to me that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The eclipse of the moon and the sun is a sign of Allah; when that happens, then pray."

Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Once, in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the sun was eclipsed while I was shooting arrows. I threw the arrows down and ran so that I could see what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would command at the solar eclipse. When I arrived, he was standing in prayer with his hands raised. In it he glorified Allah, praised Him, magnified Him and declared His oneness, then supplicated, until the sun became clear. When the sun had become clear, he recited two surahs and prayed two rak'ahs.

Tha'labah bin Abbad al-Abdi said: Once I was present at a sermon of Sayyiduna Samurah bin Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him). He mentioned that he and a boy of the Ansar were shooting at a target in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when the sun, to the eye of an onlooker, was two or three spears' length above the horizon. It turned black like the black plant called tannumah. One of us said to his companion: "Let us go to the mosque; the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) will surely say something to his Ummah about this." We went quickly to the mosque and saw that it was crowded and the people were gathered. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came out to go to the mosque, we had the good fortune of going with him. He went forward and led the people in a prayer so long that he had never led so long a prayer; we did not hear his voice in it. Then he made a prostration so long that he had never made so long a prostration; we did not hear his voice. He did the same in the second rak'ah. While he was sitting in the second rak'ah, the sun became clear. Then he gave the salam.

Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: In the solar and lunar eclipse there are six bowings and four prostrations.

Asim bin Ubaydullah said: At the solar eclipse, Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) was hurrying towards the mosque, and he had his sandals with him.

Al-Hasan said: In the eclipse prayer, two rak'ahs at a time are to be prayed.

Abu al-Khayr bin Tamim bin Hadhlam said: Once darkness came over Kufah. Hani bin Nuwayrah came, and a companion of his was with him. The two of them went to Tamim bin Hadhlam, who was one of the companions of Sayyiduna Abdullah (bin Mas'ud) (may Allah be pleased with him), and found him praying. He said to the two of them: "Go back to your homes and pray until what you see clears, for that is what used to be commanded."

Alqamah said: When you see some change on the horizon of the sky, then pray at once.

Isa bin Abi Azzah said: The people were alarmed at a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse or some such thing, and al-Sha'bi said: "Go to the mosque, for going to the mosque on such an occasion is the Sunnah."

Ibrahim said: We pray two rak'ahs in an eclipse.

Al-Ala' bin Ziyad said about the lunar eclipse prayer: The imam will recite while standing and bow. When he says 'Sami' Allahu liman hamidah' (Allah hears the one who praises Him), he should look at the moon. If the moon has not become clear, he should recite, then bow, then raise his head. When he says 'Sami' Allahu liman hamidah', he should look at the moon; if it has not become clear, he should recite, then bow, then raise his head. When he says 'Sami' Allahu liman hamidah', he should look at the moon. If it has become clear, he should prostrate, then stand and join another rak'ah to it. If the moon has not become clear, he should not prostrate at all until the moon becomes clear, whenever that may be. Then, if there is an eclipse again after that, he should not pray this prayer.

Abu Ayyub al-Hajari said: Once the sun was eclipsed in Basrah while Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) was its governor. He led the people in prayer and made the recitation in it long. Then he made a long bowing, then raised his head and prostrated. Then he did the same in the second rak'ah. When he finished, he said: "This is how the prayer of the signs is." I said: "Which surahs did he recite in these rak'ahs?" He said: "Surah al-Baqarah and Surah Al Imran."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Once, in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the sun was eclipsed, and it was announced that the prayer was being held. In this prayer he made two bowings with one prostration, then stood and made two bowings with one prostration. Then the sun became clear. At this Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: I have never made a prostration or a bowing longer than these.

Sayyiduna al-Mughirah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: On the day that Ibrahim, the son of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), passed away, the people said that the sun had been eclipsed because of Ibrahim's death. At this the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The moon and the sun are signs of Allah. They are not eclipsed for anyone's life or death. When you see them eclipsed, then occupy yourselves with supplication and prayer until they become clear."