10/3. Chapter:

Sahih Muslim 904c — Eclipse on Ibrahim's Death

What Was Shown To The Prophet Of Paradise And Hell During The Eclipse Prayer

Eclipse on Ibrahim's Death: No Omen, Only Allah's Sign

Sahih MuslimHadith Number 904c

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ، اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ - وَتَقَارَبَا فِي اللَّفْظِ - قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ انْكَسَفَتِ الشَّمْسُ فِي عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَوْمَ مَاتَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ ابْنُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا انْكَسَفَتْ لِمَوْتِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ‏.‏ فَقَامَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَصَلَّى بِالنَّاسِ سِتَّ رَكَعَاتٍ بِأَرْبَعِ سَجَدَاتٍ بَدَأَ فَكَبَّرَ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ فَأَطَالَ الْقِرَاءَةَ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ نَحْوًا مِمَّا قَامَ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ فَقَرَأَ قِرَاءَةً دُونَ الْقِرَاءَةِ الأُولَى ثُمَّ رَكَعَ نَحْوًا مِمَّا قَامَ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ فَقَرَأَ قِرَاءَةً دُونَ الْقِرَاءَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ نَحْوًا مِمَّا قَامَ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ ثُمَّ انْحَدَرَ بِالسُّجُودِ فَسَجَدَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ قَامَ فَرَكَعَ أَيْضًا ثَلاَثَ رَكَعَاتٍ لَيْسَ فِيهَا رَكْعَةٌ إِلاَّ الَّتِي قَبْلَهَا أَطْوَلُ مِنَ الَّتِي بَعْدَهَا وَرُكُوعُهُ نَحْوًا مِنْ سُجُودِهِ ثُمَّ تَأَخَّرَ وَتَأَخَّرَتِ الصُّفُوفُ خَلْفَهُ حَتَّى انْتَهَيْنَا - وَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَى النِّسَاءِ - ثُمَّ تَقَدَّمَ وَتَقَدَّمَ النَّاسُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى قَامَ فِي مَقَامِهِ فَانْصَرَفَ حِينَ انْصَرَفَ وَقَدْ آضَتِ الشَّمْسُ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ آيَتَانِ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَإِنَّهُمَا لاَ يَنْكَسِفَانِ لِمَوْتِ أَحَدٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ - وَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ لِمَوْتِ بَشَرٍ - فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ شَيْئًا مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَصَلُّوا حَتَّى تَنْجَلِيَ مَا مِنْ شَىْءٍ تُوعَدُونَهُ إِلاَّ قَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ فِي صَلاَتِي هَذِهِ لَقَدْ جِيءَ بِالنَّارِ وَذَلِكُمْ حِينَ رَأَيْتُمُونِي تَأَخَّرْتُ مَخَافَةَ أَنْ يُصِيبَنِي مِنْ لَفْحِهَا وَحَتَّى رَأَيْتُ فِيهَا صَاحِبَ الْمِحْجَنِ يَجُرُّ قُصْبَهُ فِي النَّارِ كَانَ يَسْرِقُ الْحَاجَّ بِمِحْجَنِهِ فَإِنْ فُطِنَ لَهُ قَالَ إِنَّمَا تَعَلَّقَ بِمِحْجَنِي ‏.‏ وَإِنْ غُفِلَ عَنْهُ ذَهَبَ بِهِ وَحَتَّى رَأَيْتُ فِيهَا صَاحِبَةَ الْهِرَّةِ الَّتِي رَبَطَتْهَا فَلَمْ تُطْعِمْهَا وَلَمْ تَدَعْهَا تَأْكُلُ مِنْ خَشَاشِ الأَرْضِ حَتَّى مَاتَتْ جُوعًا ثُمَّ جِيءَ بِالْجَنَّةِ وَذَلِكُمْ حِينَ رَأَيْتُمُونِي تَقَدَّمْتُ حَتَّى قُمْتُ فِي مَقَامِي وَلَقَدْ مَدَدْتُ يَدِي وَأَنَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَتَنَاوَلَ مِنْ ثَمَرِهَا لِتَنْظُرُوا إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ بَدَا لِي أَنْ لاَ أَفْعَلَ فَمَا مِنْ شَىْءٍ تُوعَدُونَهُ إِلاَّ قَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ فِي صَلاَتِي هَذِهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Jabir Narrated from:

The sun eclipsed during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on that very day when Ibrahim (the Prophet's son) died. The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) stood up and led people in (two rak'ahs of) prayer with six ruku's and four prostrations.He commenced (the prayer) with takbir (Allah-o-Akbar) and then recited and prolonged his recital. He then bowed nearly the (length of time) that he stood up. He then raised his head from the ruku' and recited but less than the first recital. He then bowed (to the length of time) that he stood up. He then raised his head from the ruku' and again recited but less than the second recital. He then bowed (to the length of time) that he stood up. He then lifted his head from the ruku'. He then fell in prostration and observed two prostrations.He stood up and then bowed, observing six ruku's like it, without (completing) the rak'ah in them, except (this difference) that the first (qiyam of ruku') was longer than the later one, and the ruku' was nearly (of the same length) as prostration. He then moved backward and the rows behind him also moved backward till we reached the extreme (Abu Bakr said: till he reached near the women) He then moved forward and the people also moved forward along with him till he stood at his (original) place (of worship).He then completed the prayer as it was required to complete and the sun brightened and he said: O people! verily the sun and the moon are among the signs of Allah and they do not eclipse at the death of anyone among people (Abu Bakr said: On the death of any human being). So when you see anything like it (of the nature of eclipse), pray till it is bright. There is nothing which you have been promised (in the next world) but I have seen it in this prayer of mine.Hell was brought to me as you saw me moving back on account of fear lest its heat might affect me; and I saw the owner of the curved staff who dragged his intestines in the fire, and he used to steal (the belongings) of the pilgrims with his curved staff. If he (the owner of the staff) became aware, he would say: It got (accidentally) entangled in my curved staff, but if he was unaware of that, he would take that away. I also saw in it (in Hell) the owner of a cat whom she had tied and did not feed her nor set her free so that she could eat the creatures of the earth, till the cat died of starvation.Paradise was brought to me, and it was on that occasion that you saw me moving forward till I stood at my place (of worship). I stretched my hand as I wanted to catch hold of its fruits so that you may see them. Then I thought of not doing it. Nothing which you have been promised was there that I did not see in this prayer of mine.

Reference : Sahih Muslim 904cIn-book reference : Book 10, Hadith 12USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 1976

Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 904c

This hadith gives a detailed report of the eclipse that happened on the day Ibrahim, the son of the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم), died. Some people said the eclipse happened because of Ibrahim's death. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) corrected that belief and said the sun and moon are signs of Allah and do not eclipse because of anyone's death. He led the people in a long eclipse prayer with repeated recitation, bowing, and prostration. The hadith also describes Paradise and Hell being shown to him during the prayer. It mentions the owner of a curved staff who stole from pilgrims and the woman who tied up a cat until it died hungry. The central lesson is to leave false links and turn to prayer when such signs appear.

What we learn from this hadith

  • The eclipse was not caused by Ibrahim's death.
  • The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) taught people to pray until the eclipse clears.
  • The hadith warns against theft and cruelty through what was shown in Hell.

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