16/16. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 1485 — Eclipse Is Not for Death
Another version
Eclipse Is Not for Death: A Hadith Against Superstition
Sunan an-Nasai : 1485
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 1485
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ، قَالَ انْكَسَفَتِ الشَّمْسُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَخَرَجَ يَجُرُّ ثَوْبَهُ فَزِعًا حَتَّى أَتَى الْمَسْجِدَ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ يُصَلِّي بِنَا حَتَّى انْجَلَتْ فَلَمَّا انْجَلَتْ قَالَ " إِنَّ نَاسًا يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ لاَ يَنْكَسِفَانِ إِلاَّ لِمَوْتِ عَظِيمٍ مِنَ الْعُظَمَاءِ وَلَيْسَ كَذَلِكَ إِنَّ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ لاَ يَنْكَسِفَانِ لِمَوْتِ أَحَدٍ وَلاَ لِحَيَاتِهِ وَلَكِنَّهُمَا آيَتَانِ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِذَا بَدَا لِشَىْءٍ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ خَشَعَ لَهُ فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ ذَلِكَ فَصَلُّوا كَأَحْدَثِ صَلاَةٍ صَلَّيْتُمُوهَا مِنَ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ " .
An-Nu'man bin Bashir Narrated from:
The sun eclipsed during the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he rushed out, dragging his cloak until he came to the masjid. He continued leading us in prayer until the eclipse ended.When it ended, he said: 'People claim that the eclipse of the sun and moon only happen when a great man dies, but that is not so. Eclipses of the sun and the moon do not happen for the death or birth of anyone, but they are signs from Allah (SWT), the Mighty and Sublime. When Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, manifests Himself to anything of His creation, it humbles itself before Him, so if you see that then pray like the last obligatory prayer you did before that.'
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 1485In-book reference : Book 16, Hadith 27English translation : Vol. 2, Book 16, Hadith 1486
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 1485
This Hadith about eclipse superstition shows the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم rushing to the masjid when the sun eclipsed. An-Nu'man bin Bashir said that he came out dragging his cloak and continued leading the people in prayer until the eclipse ended. Then he corrected a false idea among people: some claimed that the sun and moon eclipsed only when a great person died. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said this was not true. The sun and moon do not eclipse because of anyone's death or birth. They are signs from Allah. The narration also says that when Allah manifests Himself to something from His creation, it humbles itself before Him. The instruction given is to pray like the last obligatory prayer prayed before that.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم rejected the belief that eclipses happen for the death of great people.
- The sun and moon are signs from Allah.
- Prayer is the proper response when an eclipse is seen.
- The narration connects Allah's signs with humility before Him.
