Muhammad's eclipse was an annular solar eclipse that occurred on January 27, 632, and was visible across parts of East Africa, North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, the Far East, and Siberia.[1] This eclipse is especially relevant to the history of Islam as it is identified as the eclipse that occurred during the life of the final Islamic prophet, Muhammad, upon the death of his youngest son, Ibrahim. It is exclusively documented in Islamic sīrah (biographies of Muhammad) and hadith literature.
| Solar eclipse of January 27, 632 | |
|---|---|
 Solar eclipse of January 27, 632 | |
| Type of eclipse | |
| Nature | Annular |
| Gamma | 0.6856 |
| Magnitude | 0.9836 |
| Maximum eclipse | |
| Duration | 100 s (01m 40s) |
| Coordinates | 22°42′N 70°30′E / 22.7°N 70.5°E |
| Max. width of band | 78.4 km |
| Times (UTC)[1] | |
| (P1) Partial begin | 03:57:45 |
| (U1) Total begin | 05:10:05 |
| Greatest eclipse | 06:31:27 |
| (U4) Total end | 07:52:33 |
| (P4) Partial end | 09:05:03 |
| References | |
| Saros | 99 (23 of 72) |
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the apparent diameter of the Moon is smaller than that of the Sun, presenting as the Moon blocking most, but not all, of the Sun's light and causing the Sun to look like an annulus (ring). This eclipse had a magnitude of 0.9836.
Within Islamic sources
editThe occurrence of the eclipse during the life of Islamic prophet Muhammad earned it the epithet 'Muhammad's eclipse'.[2] The eclipse is well-documented in early Islamic sources, but no references to it have been found elsewhere.[3] The eclipse occurred around the time of the death of Muhammad's youngest son, Ibrahim, who was 18 months old. Rumours of God's personal condolence quickly arose.[4] It was also believed in pre-Islamic Arabia that eclipses occurred at the death of a great man.[5] Muhammad denied the rumours and rejected the pre-Islamic beliefs.[6]
Eclipse prayer and sermon
editMuslims believe the eclipse prayer performed during solar and lunar eclipses was first performed by Muhammad during this eclipse, thereafter becoming a sunnah.[7] A hadith narrated by Abd Allah ibn Amr ibn al-As in Sunan Abi Dawud asserts that Muhammad performed the prayer from when the eclipse was observed until the sun was clear.[8] Narrations by Jabir ibn Abd Allah, Asma bint Abi Bakr, and Abu Musa al-Ash'ari in Sunan an-Nasa'i,[5] Sahih Muslim,[9] and Sahih al-Bukhari,[10] respectively, also describe a long prayer with Muhammad having stood, bowed, and prostrated for long periods of time.
Muhammad delivered a khutbah (sermon) following the prayer, saying:[11]
The sun and the moon are two of God’s signs; they are not eclipsed on account of anyone’s death or on account of anyone's birth, so when you see that, supplicate God, declare His greatness, pray, and give alms. [...] O people of Muhammad, I swear by God that no one is more indignant than God when His servant or handmaiden commits fornication. O people of Muhammad, I swear by God that if you knew what I know you would laugh little and weep much.
See also
edit- Splitting of the Moon
- Sunnah prayer – Optional ritual prayers performed by Muslims, one of which is the eclipse prayer.
- Assyrian eclipse – Another historical solar eclipse that occurred in the year 763 BC; mentioned in the Bible.
References
edit- ^ a b "Nasa, eclipse of January 27, 632" (PDF).
- ^ "EclipseWise – Eclipses of History: Part 2: Solar Eclipses of the Middle Ages". www.eclipsewise.com.
- ^ Armstrong, Karen (2007). Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0061155772.
- ^ "History Encyclopedia - The death of Ibraaheem, the son of the Prophet ﷺ". Aldorar Alsaniyyah. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
- ^ a b "Sunan an-Nasa'i 1478 - The Book of Eclipses". Sunnah.com. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
- ^ "ٍSahih al-Bukhari 1060 - Eclipses - كتاب الكسوف". Sunnah.com. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "Sahih al-Bukhari 1046 - Eclipses". sunnah.com. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
- ^ "Sunan Abi Dawud 1194 - The Book Of The Prayer For Rain (Kitab al-Istisqa')". Sunnah.com. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
- ^ "Sahih Muslim 906a - The Book of Prayer - Eclipses". Sunnah.com. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
- ^ "Sahih al-Bukhari 1059 - Eclipses". Sunnah. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
- ^ "Mishkat al-Masabih 1483 - Prayer". Sunnah.com. Retrieved 14 April 2024.