Throughout the article, the phrase ‘offering prayer’ is used to denote obligatory or voluntary prayers offered with the prescribed movements (salat) and does not refer to ordinary supplication (dua) unless otherwise stated.
Eclipses: A physical phenomenon with spiritual implications
In the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty points to the fact that the creation of the heavens and earth is not a mere coincidence; rather, there are signs in it for people of understanding. We also find clear indications of the concept that there is a spiritual realm that runs parallel to the physical realm and that these two realms coincide and influence each other. Eclipses, which occur as a result of the movement of celestial bodies, are no exception to this rule. Their occurrence holds spiritual meaning too.
We find proof of this in the life of the Holy Prophet (sa). The ahadith state that the Holy Prophet (sa) would lead a congregational prayer and also advised his companions in the following words:
فَافْزَعُوا إِلَى ذِكْرِهِ وَدُعَائِهِ وَاسْتِغْفَارِهِ
“Proceed to remember Allah, invoke Him and ask for His forgiveness. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-kusuf, Bab fi zikr al-kusuf)
However, the recent eclipse raised the question: Is the Kusuf prayer mandatory at every occurrence of an eclipse, especially at times when prayer (in the form of salat) is generally forbidden or discouraged? To gain a sound understanding of this matter, it is important to analyse the relevant ahadith and find out what course of action the Promised Messiah (as) and his khulafa adopted in similar circumstances.
Makruh (discouraged) and mamnu‘ (forbidden) times
Before delving further into the topic, it is important to understand that the times during which prayer should not be offered are of two types. There are mamnu‘ (forbidden) times, during which offering prayer is categorically impermissible. These times are:
- When the sun begins rising on the horizon until it has risen fully.
- When the sun is at its zenith.
- When the sun begins to set on the horizon until it has completely set.
These three timings have a typical duration of about five to ten minutes. Apart from these times, there are two other times during which offering prayer is deemed makruh (discouraged). These are:
- After the Fajr prayer has been offered until sunrise.
- After the Asr prayer has been offered until sunset.
These times are longer in duration. The offering of nawafil (voluntary prayers) is prohibited during these times.
It should be noted here that Salatul Kusuf is a voluntary prayer. Hence, even at a glance, it is apparent that this prayer should not be offered during any of the aforementioned times based purely on this premise. The prophetic injunctions in the ahadith apart from offering the prayer, such as turning towards the remembrance of Allah and giving alms, which should be utilised as alternatives in such cases, are alternatives that have been provided in the case when offering the prayer is impermissible.
Are prayers completely forbidden after Asr?
This viewpoint raises questions about whether prayer as a whole is forbidden after Asr. Scholars throughout history have had minor differences on this issue. This is because certain narrations in the ahadith support offering prayer after Asr. Based on these narrations, the following counterarguments have to be examined carefully:
- According to authentic narrations, the Holy Prophet (sa) consistently offered two nawafil after offering the Asr prayer.
- It is permissible to offer the salat-ul-janazah (funeral prayer) after Asr.
- In the view of some Companions and jurists, it is permissible to offer the two nawafil after performing tawaf of the Ka‘bah during the makruh timings.
These points are examined below.
The Holy Prophet’s (sa) nawafil after Asr
It should be noted that the Holy Prophet (sa) very explicitly stated that no prayer should be offered after the Asr prayer. The following narration is found in Sahih al-Bukhari:
Hazrat Abu Hurairah (ra) stated: “He forbade offering prayer after the Fajr prayer before sunrise and after the Asr prayer before sunset.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 584)
We also find a similar narration from Hazrat Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (ra), who heard the Holy Prophet (sa) say: “There is no prayer after daybreak and before the sun has risen high, nor is there any prayer after the Asr prayer and before the sun disappears.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 586)
In the book on the timings of prayer in Sahih al-Bukhari, this prohibition is narrated by revered Companions of the Holy Prophet (sa), such as Hazrat Abu Hurairah (ra), Hazrat Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (ra), Hazrat Muawiyah (ra) and Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (ra). This shows that this prohibition has been mass-transmitted by well-known Companions of the Holy Prophet (sa), some of whom were prolific narrators of ahadith. Thus, the prohibition of offering prayers at these times is undoubtedly an injunction of the Holy Prophet (sa) to his ummah.
Having said that, we also find narrations in the same section of Sahih al-Bukhari that state that the Holy Prophet (sa) did offer two units of voluntary prayer after offering the Asr prayer. However, there is a clear mention of the fact that these nawafil were a personal endeavour and that the Holy Prophet (sa) did not wish this to be emulated by his ummah. The narration of Hazrat Aisha (ra) makes it clear that there is no contradiction in this. She states:
“By Him Who has taken him [the Prophet (sa)] away, he did not miss out these two raka‘at until he met Allah the Exalted. He did not meet Allah the Exalted until [standing in] prayer became difficult for him and he would offer many of his prayers sitting.” She was referring to the two raka‘at after the Asr prayer. “And the Prophet (sa) would offer them, but he would not offer them in the mosque for fear of overburdening his ummah. He loved to ease [the burden] for them.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 590)
It is also important to note that the offering of these nawafil has only been narrated by two blessed wives of the Holy Prophet (sa), namely Hazrat Aisha (ra) and Hazrat Umm-e-Salamah (ra), who were more aware of the domestic life of the Holy Prophet (sa), and it has not been narrated by any male Companion. This makes it even clearer that this was a personal practice of the Holy Prophet (sa). Is it possible, then, to forsake a clear prohibition of the Holy Prophet (sa) on the basis of one of his personal actions which he did not wish his people to emulate?
The shariah is based on obedience to the Holy Prophet (sa)
Hazrat Syed Zainul Abidin Waliullah Shah Sahib (ra), a revered Companion of the Promised Messiah (as) and commentator on Sahih al-Bukhari, makes a very beautiful point in this regard. He states:
“In summary, [Imam Bukhari] has resolved the differences between the narrations with this precise order. After the Asr prayer, the Holy Prophet (sa) reserved two raka‘at for himself, which he would offer at home rather than in the mosque.
“For fear of overburdening his ummah. He loved to ease [the burden] for them. (Hadith 590)
“It is evident from this that nawafil after the Asr prayer are not forbidden (haram), but makruh. A further reason for them being considered makruh is that the Holy Prophet (sa) did not wish to overburden his ummah. Thus, even if the Holy Prophet (sa) forbids something good, true reverence is demonstrated by refraining from it, as the essence of faith lies in obedience, rather than performing a lot of deeds.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Translation and Commentary, Islam International Publications Limited, Vol. 1, p. 1020)
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Translation and Commentary, Islam International Publications Limited, Vol. 1, p. 1020)
This is an incredibly important point.
Offering the janazah prayer after Asr
It should be noted that the janazah prayer is unlike other prayers (salat); it is rather a supplication of mercy for the deceased. In Arabic, the expression used for the funeral prayer is الصلاة على الجنازة, in which the root صَلَّى عَلَى is translated according to the context in which it appears. For example, we find in the Holy Quran:
اِنَّ اللّٰہَ وَمَلٰٓئِکَتَہٗ یُصَلُّوۡنَ عَلَی النَّبِیِّ ؕ یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا صَلُّوۡا عَلَیۡہِ وَسَلِّمُوۡا تَسۡلِیۡمًا
This translates as: “Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! you also should invoke blessings on him and salute him with the salutation of peace.” (Surah al-Ahzab, Ch.33: V.57)
The expression صَلَّى عَلَى has been used twice but does not mean offering prayer (salat). It means ‘to send blessings’ and, when believers are the subject, may be translated as ‘to pray for’ the Prophet (sa).
Arabic dictionaries and lexicons are in agreement. We find in the Dictionary of the Holy Quran by Hazrat Malik Ghulam Farid Sahib:
“The word صَلَّى has different meanings with reference to different objects.”
(Dictionary of the Holy Quran, p. 488)
In Lane’s Lexicon, we find under the expression صَلَّى عَلَى:
“Said of an angel, means he prayed for, or begged, forgiveness, or pardon, for him: and thus the verb sometimes means when said of other than an angel; as in the trad. of Sowdeh, in which it is said, إِذَا مِتْنَا صَلَّى لَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ مَظْعُونٍ [When we die, ‘Othman Ibn-Madh‘oon will pray for forgiveness for us]; he having then died. (TA.) – [And, said of a man, he blessed him, meaning he invoked God’s blessing upon him; namely, the Prophet (sa).]”
(Lane’s Lexicon)
There are other such verses in the Holy Quran that utilise this expression and are translated in a similar manner. (See Surah al-Ahzab, Ch.33: V.44; Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.158 and Surah at-Taubah, Ch.9: V.103.)
A brief study of the hadith corpus also reveals that the Holy Prophet (sa) used the same expression to refer to the janazah prayer. We find in Sahih al-Bukhari, in the book of funerals, under the chapter titled “The legal way of offering the funeral prayer” (before Hadith 1322):
وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: مَنْ صَلَّى عَلَى الْجَنَازَةِ؟ وَقَالَ: صَلُّوا عَلَى صَاحِبِكُمْ وَقَالَ: صَلُّوا عَلَى النَّجَاشِيِّ
We do not find in the hadith corpus an instance where the Holy Prophet (sa) used the construction صلاة الجنازة; rather, we only find the expression صَلَّى عَلَى in his words. The jurists and hadith scholars later added the term صلاة الجنازة for ease of understanding. For this reason, scholars and jurists have differed about whether this is just a supplication (dua) or an offered prayer (salat). (Sahih al-Bukhari, Translation and Commentary by Syed Zainul Abidin Waliullah Shah [Urdu], Vol. 2, p. 698)
With regard to funerals, the Holy Prophet (sa) also gave the following instruction which was recorded by Hazrat Ali (ra):
“Ali! Three are not to be delayed: salat when its time comes, a funeral when it [a prepared body] is present and [the marriage of] a single woman when there is an equal for her.”
(Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 171)
The wisdom behind this prophetic injunction is that funerals are a distressing time for the grieving family. The family has to make arrangements for the burial of the deceased and facilitate mourners and friends. Hence, to create ease for the grieving family, the funeral prayer may be offered during the discouraged times so as not to become an obstacle for them.
It is also useful to note that we do not offer any bowing motion (ruku‘) or prostration (sajdah) during the funeral prayer. This also points to the fact that it is a supplication for the deceased.
The nawafil offered after tawaf of the Ka‘bah
Regarding the two nawafil after tawaf, the Companions of the Holy Prophet (sa) and the jurists have differed on whether it is permissible to offer them during the makruh timings. However, many senior Companions have opined that these nawafil should be delayed until after the makruh timings have finished. We find in Sahih al-Bukhari that Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (ra) would not offer these nawafil until the sun had risen, and Hazrat Umar (ra) also did the same by completing tawaf after the Fajr prayer and then going to Dhi Tuwa and offering his nawafil there, to allow the sun to rise and avoid the makruh timing. Similarly, we also find mention of Hazrat Aisha (ra) disapproving of others offering these nawafil after the Asr prayer. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Pilgrimage, chapter on tawaf after the Fajr and Asr prayers, Hadith 1628)
This shows that there is a difference of opinion in the offering of these nawafil, hence this matter cannot be deemed evidence in support of offering the Salatul Kusuf after the Asr prayer.
With regard to Hajj, it may be possible that these nawafil may be offered in the makruh timings, however it should be noted that these are days with very specific acts of worship that are exceptions to worship in everyday life. For example, we find the prohibition of hunting animals on land for pilgrims in the Holy Quran. This injunction is specific to the pilgrims. Similarly, there are also other commands that have been established with the goal of creating a unique spiritual atmosphere and a sense of community and cohesion between Muslims from all over the world. If, on those very specific days, pilgrims have to offer these nawafil during the makruh timings, then this can only be considered an exception to the rule, not the rule itself.
The rulings of the four schools of fiqh
Based on the aforementioned points, the majority of jurists have ruled that it is not permissible to offer Salatul Kusuf during the makruh timings, such as after the Asr prayer. In Hanafi fiqh, this has been the recorded stance of Hazrat Imam Abu Hanifa (rh), narrated by his students without contradiction. Allama al-Sarakhsi records the following from the great Imam (rh) himself:
قَالَ: وَلَا يُصَلَّى الْكُسُوفُ فِي الْأَوْقَاتِ الثَّلَاثَةِ الَّتِي تُكْرَهُ فِيهَا الصَّلَاةُ لِأَنَّهَا تَطَوُّعٌ كَسَائِرِ التَّطَوُّعَاتِ
Imam Abu Hanifa (rh) said: “The Kusuf prayer is not offered during the three makruh timings because it is a voluntary prayer like other voluntary prayers.” (Al-Mabsut, Book on Salat, chapter on the Kusuf prayer, Vol. 2, p. 76)
This viewpoint has also been recorded by al-Kasani in his book Bada’i al-Sana’i. The Hanafi viewpoint has also been recorded in non-Hanafi texts such as Al-Tamhid by Ibn Abd al-Barr (rh).
In the Maliki and Hanbali schools of thought, there seem to be contradictory reports about what ruling each respective Imam gave; however, with the passage of time, the majority of scholars of both schools of fiqh have favoured the Hanafi viewpoint. It is only the Shafi‘i school of fiqh that has differed entirely from this ruling, with Hazrat Imam Shafi‘i (rh) holding that the prayer should be offered. However, most jurists disagree with this ruling.
The Promised Messiah (as)
A study of Jamaat history reveals that there was one occasion during the lifetime of the Promised Messiah (as) when it can be said that a solar eclipse prayer was offered at a similar time. We find in Ashab-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, a narration copied from the diary of Hazrat Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan Sahib (ra), dated 22 January 1898:
“Thereafter, we went to the Jami‘ Mosque to offer the Kusuf prayer. First, the Zuhr and Asr prayers were combined and then the Kusuf prayer was offered, and the pain and weeping with which the prayer was offered was an astonishing sight. After the conclusion of the eclipse prayer, a prayer of gratitude was also offered. The day was spent almost entirely in worship. The opponents should come and see whether their opposition is based on justice.”
(Ashab-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, p. 518)
On this occasion, the Zuhr and Asr prayers were combined, and then the Kusuf prayer was offered. This means that the eclipse actually occurred at Zuhr time, at which point both Zuhr and Asr prayers were combined early, and then the Kusuf prayer was offered. Therefore, this narration does not establish that the prayer was offered after Asr time. This is also supported by the NASA database of solar eclipses, which suggests that the eclipse was visible in Qadian from around 12 pm to 3 pm. (“Catalog of Solar Eclipses: 1801 to 1900”, eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov, 21 July 2010)
A very significant aspect of this narration is that nowhere has mention been made of the Promised Messiah (as) himself, the chosen Arbiter of the Latter Days, offering this prayer or being present with the Companions who offered it at that time. In fact, if we look at the Kusuf prayer in general, there is an instance recorded in 1907 when the Kusuf prayer was offered in Qadian but was led by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra), and there is no mention of the Promised Messiah (as) being present. (Khutbat-e-Nur, p. 242)
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra)
A solar eclipse was recorded during the Khilafat of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) that took place in Ramadan and after Asr. This was recorded in Al Fazl on 23 August 1914 in the following words:
“Hazrat Khalifatul Masih was noticeably unwell on Friday; however, Huzoor [ra] led the Jumu‘ah prayer himself. In his sermon, he drew attention to the current war and emphasised the importance of fulfilling our pledge to the government, thus following the teachings of the Promised Messiah (as).”
“On Friday, a solar eclipse took place at around half past six. The eclipse prayer (Salatul Kusuf) was not offered. The injunctions to seek forgiveness for one’s sins (istighfar) and give alms (sadqa) were followed.”
(Al Fazl, Qadian, No. 29, Vol. 2, 23 August 1914, p. 1)
It is possible that one may say that perhaps the prayer was not offered by Huzoor (ra) due to his illness. However, we must remember that Huzoor’s (ra) commitment to his duties in the face of personal illness was exemplary and a hallmark of his Khilafat. This can be seen from the fact that, despite his illness, he still led the Jumu‘ah prayer. Then there is also the question that, if Huzoor (ra) did not lead the eclipse prayer due to his illness, he could easily have appointed someone else in his place to lead it. However, this also did not take place. Rather, we find explicit mention of the injunctions to engage in istighfar and give sadqa at the time. This makes it apparent that, in the view of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra), it was not permissible to offer this prayer between the Asr and Maghrib prayers. This is why he drew the Jamaat’s attention to the other commands given to us by the Holy Prophet (sa), namely, engaging in istighfar and giving sadqa. This is also a sunnah of the Holy Prophet (sa) and, by this method, we can follow both sunnahs of the Holy Prophet (sa): not offering any prayer after Asr and turning towards Allah the Almighty at the time of an eclipse.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aa)
When this matter was presented to Huzoor (aa), he instructed that the eclipse prayer should not be offered after the Asr prayer. Hence, the Jamaat in the UK did not offer the eclipse prayer on this occasion. Huzoor’s (aa) ruling is in accordance with the directives of the Holy Prophet (sa), the course of action adopted by the Promised Messiah (as), his khulafa and the majority of jurists.
As Ahmadi Muslims, it is incumbent upon us to cherish the blessing of having a system of Khilafat on the precepts of prophethood. This means that we receive adequate guidance on complex matters through this unrivalled blessing. Hence, we must follow the directive of the Holy Prophet (sa):
“The Imam is like a shelter, for whose safety the Muslims should fight and where they should seek protection.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2957)
In this way, we can safeguard our spirituality and that of our future generations. May Allah the Almighty enable us to do so. Amin.