3/10. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 1193 — Pairs of Rak'ahs Until Clear
Whoever Said That Only Two Ruku' Should Be Performed (In Eclipse Prayer)
Solar Eclipse Prayer Hadith: Praying Until the Sun Became Clear
Sunan Abi Dawud : 1193
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 1193
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي شُعَيْبٍ الْحَرَّانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي الْحَارِثُ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ الْبَصْرِيُّ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ السَّخْتِيَانِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ، قَالَ كُسِفَتِ الشَّمْسُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَجَعَلَ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَيَسْأَلُ عَنْهَا حَتَّى انْجَلَتْ .
An-Nu'man bin Bashir Narrated from:
There was an eclipse of the sun in the time of the Prophet (ﷺ). He began to pray a series of pairs of rak'ahs enquiring about the sun (at the end of them) till it became clear.
[1] They say that the meaning is that he was asking Allāh, similar to what appears in the following narration, or, that he would ask someone to look and see if the eclipse is over after praying, and pray again, or, that he would indicate with his hand that someone should look during the prayer.Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1193In-book reference : Book 3, Hadith 33English translation : Book 3, Hadith 1189
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1193
This narration from An-Nu'man ibn Bashir describes the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم response to a solar eclipse in a simple way. When the eclipse happened, he began to pray pairs of rak'ahs. At the end of them, he would ask about the sun, and he continued until it became clear. The wording gives us a practical picture: prayer continued while the eclipse remained, and the state of the sun was checked. The hadith does not mention a long recitation, a sermon, or charity in this wording. Its focus is steady prayer during the event. For people searching for solar eclipse prayer hadith, this report shows prayer lasting until the eclipse passed.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم prayed during the solar eclipse.
- The narration mentions pairs of rak'ahs.
- He asked about the sun until it became clear.
- The report connects prayer with the duration of the eclipse.
