Excerpt Source
This excerpt is taken from the book Ṣaḥīḥ Ṣalāh an-Nabī ﷺ, published by Maktabah Dār al-Andalus, authored by al-Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ʿAzīz.
إِنَّ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ آيَتَانِ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ لَا يَنْكِسِفَانِ لِمَوْتِ أَحَدٍ وَلَا لِحَيَاتِهِ وَلَكِنْ يُخَوِّفُ اللَّهُ بِهِمَا عِبَادَهُ
“The sun and the moon are two signs from among the signs of Allah. They do not eclipse due to the death or birth of anyone; rather, Allah frightens His servants through them.”
فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ ذَلِكَ فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ وَكَبِّرُوا وَصَلُّوا وَتَصَدَّقُوا
And in another narration:
فَافْزَعُوا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَدُعَائِهِ وَاسْتِغْفَارِهِ
“When you see it (the eclipse), remember Allah, proclaim His greatness, perform prayer, and give charity.”
And in another narration: “Hasten towards the remembrance of Allah, His supplication, and seeking His forgiveness.”
❀ One should remain engaged in prayer and supplication until the eclipse ends. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمُوهَا فَصَلُّوا وَادْعُوا اللَّهَ حَتَّى يَنْكَشِفَ مَا بِكُمْ
“When you see the eclipse, perform prayer and supplicate to Allah until it clears.”
“During the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, when the sun eclipsed, an announcement was made for congregational prayer.”
❀ Men, women, and children should all gather for the eclipse prayer. Sayyidah Asmā’ رضي الله عنها said:
“When the sun eclipsed, I came to ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها and found people offering prayer, and ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها was also praying.”
One begins with takbīr, then stands for a long qiyām, reciting an amount similar to Sūrah al-Baqarah, followed by a long rukūʿ. Then one stands again for a second qiyām, slightly shorter than the first, followed by a second rukūʿ, slightly shorter than the first. Then one stands and performs two prostrations—this completes one rakʿah. The second rakʿah is performed in the same manner.
❀ The recitation in Ṣalāt al-Khusūf is audible (jahrī). Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها said:
“The Prophet ﷺ recited aloud in Ṣalāt al-Khusūf.”
❀ It is also permissible to perform three or four rukūʿs in each rakʿah.
❀ The prayer should conclude when the eclipse ends.
❀ Raising the hands in supplication during Ṣalāt al-Khusūf is also established. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān bin Samurah رضي الله عنه said:
فَأَتَيْتُهُ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ فِي الصَّلَاةِ رَافِعٌ يَدَيْهِ فَجَعَلَ يُسَبِّحُ وَيَحْمَدُ وَيُهَلِّلُ وَيُكَبِّرُ وَيَدْعُو
“I came to the Prophet ﷺ while he was standing in prayer, raising his hands, glorifying Allah, praising Him, declaring His oneness, magnifying Him, and supplicating.”
❀ After Ṣalāt al-Khusūf, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would deliver a sermon, advising people to have taqwā, fear Allah’s punishment, beware of sins, engage in remembrance, and give charity.
This excerpt is taken from the book Ṣaḥīḥ Ṣalāh an-Nabī ﷺ, published by Maktabah Dār al-Andalus, authored by al-Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ʿAzīz.
Description of Ṣalāt al-Khusūf (Eclipse Prayer)
Ṣalāt al-Khusūf is performed when an eclipse occurs to the sun or the moon. The term Kusūf is also used for an eclipse. Some scholars have differentiated between the two by saying that Kusūf is for a solar eclipse and Khusūf is for a lunar eclipse, but in the Qur’an and ḥadīth, both terms have been used interchangeably for the same phenomenon.Importance of Ṣalāt al-Khusūf
❀ The sun and the moon do not eclipse due to the birth or death of anyone. Rather, they are among the signs of Allah, through which He instills fear in His servants. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:إِنَّ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ آيَتَانِ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ لَا يَنْكِسِفَانِ لِمَوْتِ أَحَدٍ وَلَا لِحَيَاتِهِ وَلَكِنْ يُخَوِّفُ اللَّهُ بِهِمَا عِبَادَهُ
“The sun and the moon are two signs from among the signs of Allah. They do not eclipse due to the death or birth of anyone; rather, Allah frightens His servants through them.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Kusūf, Bāb qawl al-nabī ﷺ …: 1048 – Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 901
Actions to Perform During an Eclipse
❀ When an eclipse occurs, one should immediately engage in dhikr, ṣalāh, charity, supplication, and seeking forgiveness. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ ذَلِكَ فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ وَكَبِّرُوا وَصَلُّوا وَتَصَدَّقُوا
And in another narration:
فَافْزَعُوا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَدُعَائِهِ وَاسْتِغْفَارِهِ
“When you see it (the eclipse), remember Allah, proclaim His greatness, perform prayer, and give charity.”
And in another narration: “Hasten towards the remembrance of Allah, His supplication, and seeking His forgiveness.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Kusūf, Bāb al-ṣadaqah fī al-kusūf: 1059, 1044 – Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2117
❀ One should remain engaged in prayer and supplication until the eclipse ends. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمُوهَا فَصَلُّوا وَادْعُوا اللَّهَ حَتَّى يَنْكَشِفَ مَا بِكُمْ
“When you see the eclipse, perform prayer and supplicate to Allah until it clears.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Kusūf, Bāb al-ṣalāh fī kusūf al-shams: 1040 – Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 911
Congregation for Ṣalāt al-Khusūf
❀ When an eclipse occurs, an announcement should be made for congregational prayer. Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh bin ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما said:“During the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, when the sun eclipsed, an announcement was made for congregational prayer.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Kusūf, Bāb al-nidā’ bi (al-ṣalāh jāmiʿah) fī al-kusūf: 1045 – Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 901/5
❀ Men, women, and children should all gather for the eclipse prayer. Sayyidah Asmā’ رضي الله عنها said:
“When the sun eclipsed, I came to ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها and found people offering prayer, and ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها was also praying.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Kusūf, Bāb ṣalāt al-nisā’ maʿa al-rijāl fī al-kusūf: 1053 – Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 905
Method of Ṣalāt al-Khusūf
❀ Ṣalāt al-Khusūf consists of two rakʿahs, performed in the following manner:One begins with takbīr, then stands for a long qiyām, reciting an amount similar to Sūrah al-Baqarah, followed by a long rukūʿ. Then one stands again for a second qiyām, slightly shorter than the first, followed by a second rukūʿ, slightly shorter than the first. Then one stands and performs two prostrations—this completes one rakʿah. The second rakʿah is performed in the same manner.
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Kusūf, Bāb al-ṣadaqah fī al-kusūf: 1052, 1044 – Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 901
❀ The recitation in Ṣalāt al-Khusūf is audible (jahrī). Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها said:
“The Prophet ﷺ recited aloud in Ṣalāt al-Khusūf.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Kusūf, Bāb al-jahr bi al-qirā’ah fī al-kusūf: 1065 – Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 901/5
❀ It is also permissible to perform three or four rukūʿs in each rakʿah.
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Kusūf, Bāb mā ʿuriḍa ʿalā al-nabī ﷺ fī ṣalāt …: 908, 904/10, ḥadīth: 2111
❀ The prayer should conclude when the eclipse ends.
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1040 – Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 911
❀ Raising the hands in supplication during Ṣalāt al-Khusūf is also established. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān bin Samurah رضي الله عنه said:
فَأَتَيْتُهُ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ فِي الصَّلَاةِ رَافِعٌ يَدَيْهِ فَجَعَلَ يُسَبِّحُ وَيَحْمَدُ وَيُهَلِّلُ وَيُكَبِّرُ وَيَدْعُو
“I came to the Prophet ﷺ while he was standing in prayer, raising his hands, glorifying Allah, praising Him, declaring His oneness, magnifying Him, and supplicating.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Kusūf, Bāb dhikr al-nidā’ bi ṣalāt al-kusūf: 913/26
❀ After Ṣalāt al-Khusūf, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would deliver a sermon, advising people to have taqwā, fear Allah’s punishment, beware of sins, engage in remembrance, and give charity.
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Kusūf, Bāb al-ṣadaqah fī al-kusūf: 1052, 1044 – Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 901
