The Distinguished Jurists Primer by Ibn Rushd

They agreed that the prayers for the solar eclipse are a sunna and that they are to be undertaken in a congregation. They disagreed about its description, about the description of the recitation during it, about the timings during which it is permitted, and also whether a sermon is one of its conditions. They also disagreed on whether the same sort of prayer is to be performed in the case of a lunar eclipse. There are thus five issues under this topic.

Malik, al-ShafiT, the majority of the jurists of Hijaz, and Ahmad maintained that the eclipse prayer comprises two rakfas with the rukff (bowing) occurring twice in each. Abu HanTfa and the Kufis held that the eclipse prayer is comprised of two rafcas on the pattern of the <id and Friday prayer.

The reason for their disagreement stems from the conflict of traditions on the issue and the conflict of analogy with some of them. This is so as it has been established in the tradition of A’isha, in which she said, “A solar eclipse occurred during the period of the Messenger of Allah (God’s peace and blessings be upon him). He led the people in prayer, and stood praying for a long time after which he made the bow and bowed a long time. He then straightened up and prayed for a long time, but this was shorter than the first, after which he bowed for a long time, but this was shorter than the first bow. Thereafter he raised himself and prostrated once. He then sat up, then prostrated again. He then did the same in the second rak^a. He then went away when the sun had brightened again”. It is also established’ in the same manner through the tradition of Ibn cAbbas, that is, two bows in a rak^a. Abu TJmar has said that these two are the most authentic traditions that have been related on the topic.

Those who relied on these two traditions and preferred them over the others on the basis of transmission said that the eclipse prayer comprises two ruktifc in a single rak*-a. It has also been related in the traditions of Abu Bakr, Samura ibn Jundab, cAbd Allah ibn TJmar, and al-Ntfman ibn Bashir that the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) prayed two rakfas during an eclipse like the prayer of 9W. Abu <Umar ibn (Abd al-Barr has said that all these are authentic and well-known traditions andF the best of these is the tradition of Abu Qalaba from al-Nucman ibn Bashir, who said, “The Messenger of Allah (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) led us in prayer during an eclipse like your prayer where you bow and prostrate two rak'as at a time, seeking the favour of Allah till the brightening of the sun”. Those who preferred these traditions, because of their large number and their conformity with analogy, that is, conformity with the other prayers said that the eclipse prayer is two rakfas. The QadT (Ibn Rushd) said that the tradition of Samura has been recorded by Muslim.

Abu ‘Umar said that on the whole each group adopted the traditions that had been reported by their predecessors, and for that reason some of the jurists have held that all this is a matter of choice. One of those who said this is al- Tabari. The Qadi (Ibn Rushd) said that this is better, as reconciliation is better than preference. Abu TJmar said that in the case of the eclipse prayer ten ruku's in two rak<asy eight in two, six in two, and four in two have been reported, but through channels that are unreliable. Abu Bakr ibn al-Mundhir and Ishaq ibn Rahwayh have said that all this is mutually supportive and not conflicting as the consideration here is given to the brightening of the sun, and the excess in bowing occurred in accordance with variation in the brightening of the sun during the eclipse in which prayer was offered. It is related from al- c Ala5 ibn Ziyad that in his view the worshipper should look at the sun when he raises his head from the bowing posture. If the sun has brightened he should prostrate and add to it a second rakat but if it has not brightened in the first ruku he should bow a second time and then look at the sun again, and if it has still not brightened he should bow a third time in the first rak'a and continue this way till the sun brightens up. Ishaq ibn Rahwayh used to say that this is not to exceed four ruku's in one rak'a, as an excess beyond that has not been established from the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him). Abu Bakr ibn al-Mundhir has said: “Some of our colleagues used to say that a choice in the matter of the eclipse has been established, and the choice lies with the worshipper, if he likes he may bow twice in one rak'a, or thrice, or four times”. He did not, however, consider this to be valid, but he maintained that these records imply that the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) prayed at length on a number of occasions during the eclipses. The QadT (Ibn Rushd) said: “What he has mentioned has been recorded by Muslim and I do not know how Abu TJmar has said that these have been reported through weak channel. As for ten ruku's in a rak'a, it has been reported by Abu Dawud alone”.

They disagreed about the (nature of the) recitation in this prayer. Malik and al-Shafi i c held that the recitation in it is to be inaudible. Abu Yusuf, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, Ahmad, and Ishaq ibn Rahwayh maintained that the recitation in it is to be audible.

The reason for their disagreement arises from the conflict of traditions on the subject with respect to their implications and the form of words used. Thus, the implication of the authentic tradition of Ibn cAbbas is that the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) recited inaudibly in it, because of Ibn cAbbas’s words about the Prophet, “that he prayed in it equal to the length of surat al-Baqara”. The same is narrated from him expressly that he said, “I stood on one side of the Messenger of Allah (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) and I did not hear a word from him”. It has been related through Ibn Ishaq from A isha about c5

the eclipse prayer that she said, “I listened intently to his recitation and guessed that he recited surat al- Baqara”.

Those who preferred these traditions said that the recitation in it is to be inaudible, and because of what has been mentioned in these traditions, Malik and al-Shafi T considered c it desirable to recite surat al-Baqara in the first rak'a, surat Al 'Imran in the second, the length of one hundred and fifty verses of surat al-Baqara in the third, the length of fifty verses of surat al- Baqara in the fourth, and to recite the umm al-QuBdn in each one of these rak'as. They preferred their opinion also on the basis of what has been related from the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) that he said, “The prayers during the day are inaudible”, but there are traditions that oppose this tradition. One of these is the report “that the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) in one of the rak'as of the eclipse prayer recited sural al-Najm'\ and this means that, he must have recited audibly. Ahmad and Ishaq used to support such an opinion through the tradition of Sufyan ibn al-Hasan from al-Zuhri from TJrwa from cA>isha “that the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) recited audibly in a prayer of the solar eclipse”. Abu ‘Umar has said that Sufyan ibn al-Hasan is not a reliable narrator. He maintained that his tradition was also narrated by others (by way of mutabaty from al-Zuhri from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Sulayman ibn KathTr and none of them is to be found in the tradition of al-Zuhri. Further, the traditipn of Ibn Ishaq from ‘A’isha that has preceded opposes it. These jurists also supported their argument with qiyds al-shabah, saying that recitation in a sunna prayer that is observed in a congregation during the day must be. audible, and the basis for this are the prayer for and that for rain (istisqd*).

Al-Tabari granted a choice in all this. This, is the method of reconciliation, and we have already stated that it is preferable to the method of preference, if it is possible. There is no dispute about it that I know of among the experts on usul,

They disagreed about the time in which it is to be observed. Al-ShafiT said that it may be observed at all times, those in which prayer is prohibited and those in which it is not. Abu HanTfa held that it is not to be observed in timings in which "prayer is prohibited. Ibn Wahb has related from Malik that he said: “Prayer for the solar eclipse is not to be observed except in timings in which supererogatory prayers are permitted”. Ibn al-Qasim has related that the established practice is to observe it from sunrise up to the decline of the sun.

The reason for their disagreement on this issue springs from their dispute over the categories of prayer that are not to be observed during the prohibited periods. Those who held that the prohibition applies to all categories of prayer during these periods did not permit the observance of the eclipse prayer or any other prayer in such timings. Those who maintained that these traditions are confined to the supererogatory prayers, and the eclipse prayer according to them is a sunna, permitted its observance (in such timings). Those who maintained that this prayer is supererogatory did not permit it either in the proscribed, timings. The report of Ibn al-Qasim from Malik, however, has no basis except its semblance to the ctd prayer.

They also disagreed on whether delivering a sermon after the prayer is one of its conditions. Al-ShaficT held that it is one of its conditions. Malik and Abti HanTfa maintained that there is to be no sermon after the eclipse prayer. The reason for their disagreement stems from their dispute over the underlying cause for which the Messenger of Allah (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) addressed the people after he had completed the eclipse prayer, as is reported in Aisha’s tradition. She related “that when he had completed the prayer and the sun had brightened, he praised Allah and glorified Him and then said, ‘The sun and the moon are two signs from among the signs of Allah, and they are not eclipsed for anyone’s death nor for his life . .’”.159 Al- Shafi T, therefore, believed that c he delivered this sermon as a sermon is one of the practices of this prayer, as is the case with the 9W prayer and the prayer for rain. Some of those who adopted the opinion of the others believed that the sermon by the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) on that day was delivered because the people believed that the sun was eclipsed for the death of his son Ibrahim (God’s peace and blessings be upon him).

They disagreed about the (kind of prayer that should be offered during a) lunar eclipse. Al-ShaficT maintained that prayers for it are to be observed in a congregation in a manner similar to that for the solar eclipse. This was also held by Ahmad, Dawud, and a group of jurists. Malik and Abu HanTfa maintained that prayers for it are not to be observed in a congregation and they recommended that people pray two fakfas for it individually as is the case with all the other supererogatory prayers.

The reason for their disagreement arises from their dispute over the meaning of the words of the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him), “The sun and the moon are two signs from among the signs of Allah, and they are not eclipsed for anyone’s death nor for his life, so when you see them eclipsed supplicate Allah and pray till what has befallen you clears up, and then give alms”. It has been recorded by al-Bukhan and Muslim. Those who understood from this that the prescription' for observing prayer in it is the same, which is the manner in which it is observed for the solar eclipse, held that prayer is to observed in a congregation. Those who comprehended a different meaning here, for it has not been related about the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) that he observed prayer for the lunar eclipse despite the frequency of its occurrence (during its lifetime), held that the meaning here is the minimum to which the term salah is applied in law and that is supererogatory prayer observed individually. The upholders of this opinion maintained that the principle here is to construe the term salah in the law, when it is prescribed, to imply the minimum that is covered by the term in the law, unless another evidence indicates the contrary. Thus\ when the acts of the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) with respect to the solar eclipse do not indicate it (i.e., prayer in a congregation) the meaning retains its (original) implication for the lunar eclipse in conformity with the principle. Al-Shafi‘T, however, construes the acts of the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) with respect to the solar eclipse as an elaboration of an unelaborated (mujmal) meaning, and insofar as prayer for it has been prescribed it is necessary to rely on it. Abu ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-Barr believed that it has been related from Ibn ‘Abbas and ‘Uthman that both of them prayed two rak'as with the congregation for the lunar eclipse, bowing, twice in each just as is the opinion of al-Shafi‘T.

A group of jurists recommended praying (oh other occasions of natural occurances such as) earthquakes, storms, darkness (heavily overcast skies), and other such signs on the analogy of the lunar eclipse and the solar eclipse because of the Prophet’s expressly stating the underlying cause for these, which is their determination as signs. This is one of the strongest categories of analogy in their view, for it is analogy on the basis of an underlying cause that is explicitly stated; but this was not the view of Malik or al-Shafi‘T, nor of any group of jurists. Abu HanTfa said that if a prayer is observed on the occurance of an earthquake it is an excellent thing for there is no harm done anyway. It is related that Ibn ‘Abbas used to pray for it in the same way as for the eclipse prayer.