What should Muslims do during a solar or lunar eclipse?

The evidence

1. 1

   Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 1043

   Sahih Bukhari

   The Prophet ﷺ said the sun and moon do not eclipse for someone's death or birth and instructed prayer and supplication.

   Narrated Al-Mughira bin Shu`ba:"The sun eclipsed in the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) on the day when (his son) Ibrahim died. So the people said that the sun had eclipsed because of the death of Ibrahim. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of the death or life (i.e. birth) of someone. When you see the eclipse pray and invoke Allah

   Read more

   العربية

   حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا هَاشِمُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنْ زِيَادِ بْنِ عِلاَقَةَ، عَنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ بْنِ شُعْبَةَ، قَالَ كَسَفَتِ الشَّمْسُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَوْمَ مَاتَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ، فَقَالَ النَّاسُ كَسَفَتِ الشَّمْسُ لِمَوْتِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ إِنَّ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ لاَ يَنْكَسِفَانِ لِمَوْتِ أَحَدٍ وَلاَ لِحَيَاتِهِ، فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ فَصَلُّوا وَادْعُوا اللَّهَ ‏"‏‏.‏

2. 2

   Hadith Sahih Muslim 901

   Sahih Muslim

   Aisha (RA) described the Prophet's eclipse prayer and its extended standing and bowing.

   A'isha reported that there was a solar eclipse in the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He stood up to pray and prolonged his stand very much. He then bowed and prolonged very much his bowing. He then raised his head and prolonged his stand much, but it was less than the (duration) of the first stand. He then bowed and prolonged bowing much, but it was less than the duration of his first bowing. He then prostrated and then stood up and prolonged the stand, but it was less than the first stand. He then bowed and prolonged his bowing, but it was less than the first bowing. He then lifted his head and then stood up and prolonged his stand, but it was less than the first stand. He then bowed and prolonged bowing and it was less than the first bowing. He then prostrated himself; then he turned about, and the sun had become bright, and he addressed the people. He praised Allah and landed Him and said:The sun and the moon are two signs of Allah; they are not eclipsed on account of anyones death or on account of anyone's birth. So when you see them, glorify and supplicate Allah, observe prayer, give alms. O Ummah of Muhammad, none is more indignant than Allah When His servant or maid commits fornication. O people of Muhammad, by Allah, if you knew what I know, you would weep much and laugh little

   Read more

   العربية

   وَحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، ح. وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ خَسَفَتِ الشَّمْسُ فِي عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُصَلِّي فَأَطَالَ الْقِيَامَ جِدًّا ثُمَّ رَكَعَ فَأَطَالَ الرُّكُوعَ جِدًّا ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَأَطَالَ الْقِيَامَ جِدًّا وَهُوَ دُونَ الْقِيَامِ الأَوَّلِ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ فَأَطَالَ الرُّكُوعَ جِدًّا وَهُوَ دُونَ الرُّكُوعِ الأَوَّلِ ثُمَّ سَجَدَ ثُمَّ قَامَ فَأَطَالَ الْقِيَامَ وَهُوَ دُونَ الْقِيَامِ الأَوَّلِ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ فَأَطَالَ الرُّكُوعَ وَهُوَ دُونَ الرُّكُوعِ الأَوَّلِ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَقَامَ فَأَطَالَ الْقِيَامَ وَهُوَ دُونَ الْقِيَامِ الأَوَّلِ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ فَأَطَالَ الرُّكُوعَ وَهُوَ دُونَ الرُّكُوعِ الأَوَّلِ ثُمَّ سَجَدَ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَقَدْ تَجَلَّتِ الشَّمْسُ فَخَطَبَ النَّاسَ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ إِنَّ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَإِنَّهُمَا لاَ يَنْخَسِفَانِ لِمَوْتِ أَحَدٍ وَلاَ لِحَيَاتِهِ فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمُوهُمَا فَكَبِّرُوا وَادْعُوا اللَّهَ وَصَلُّوا وَتَصَدَّقُوا يَا أُمَّةَ مُحَمَّدٍ إِنْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ أَغْيَرَ مِنَ اللَّهِ أَنْ يَزْنِيَ عَبْدُهُ أَوْ تَزْنِيَ أَمَتُهُ يَا أُمَّةَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَاللَّهِ لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا أَعْلَمُ لَبَكَيْتُمْ كَثِيرًا وَلَضَحِكْتُمْ قَلِيلاً أَلاَ هَلْ بَلَّغْتُ "‏ ‏.‏ وَفِي رِوَايَةِ مَالِكٍ ‏"‏ إِنَّ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ آيَتَانِ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

3. 3

   Quran Al-Baqara · 2:164

   The creation of the heavens and earth and alternation of night and day are signs for people who reason.

   إِنَّ فِي خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱخۡتِلَٰفِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ وَٱلۡفُلۡكِ ٱلَّتِي تَجۡرِي فِي ٱلۡبَحۡرِ بِمَا يَنفَعُ ٱلنَّاسَ وَمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مِن مَّآءࣲ فَأَحۡيَا بِهِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَآبَّةࣲ وَتَصۡرِيفِ ٱلرِّيَٰحِ وَٱلسَّحَابِ ٱلۡمُسَخَّرِ بَيۡنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ لَأٓيَٰتࣲ لِّقَوۡمࣲ يَعۡقِلُونَ ۝١٦٤

   Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, and the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what Allah has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every [kind of] moving creature, and [His] directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and the earth are signs for a people who use reason

   Read more