Muhammad's eclipse
Annular eclipse | |
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) | |
(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) |
The solar eclipse of January 27, 632, also known as Muhammad's eclipse, was an annular solar eclipse visible across parts of East Africa, North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, the Far East, and Siberia.[1]
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.[1]
Within Islamic sources
The 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, saying:
The sun and the moon are two signs amongst the signs of Allah. They do not eclipse because of someone's death or life. So when you see them, invoke Allah and pray till the eclipse is clear.[6]
Eclipse prayer
Muslims 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.
Related eclipses
Solar eclipses of 632
This eclipse was the first of three solar eclipses that occurred in the year 632.[11]
- An annular solar eclipse on July 23
- A partial solar eclipse on December 17
Tzolkinex
A tzolkinex cycle repeats every 88 lunations (2,598.691 days), or roughly 7 years, 1 month and 12 days.
- Preceding: A partial solar eclipse on December 16, 624
- Following: An annular solar eclipse on March 10, 639
Tritos
A tritos cycle repeats every 135 lunations (3,986.628 days), or roughly 10 years and 11 months.
- Preceding: An annular solar eclipse on February 27, 621
- Following: A total solar eclipse on December 27, 642
Saros
A saros cycle repeats every 223 lunations (6,585.321 days), or roughly 18 years and 11 days. This eclipse was the 23rd of 72 solar eclipses in Saros Series 99, which started with a partial solar eclipse visible in the Northern Hemisphere on June 3, 235, and ended with another partial solar eclipse in the Southern Hemisphere on July 11, 1515. All eclipses in this series occurred at the Moon's ascending node.[1][12]
- Preceding: An annular solar eclipse on January 15, 614
- Following: An annular solar eclipse on February 6, 650
Inex
An inex cycle repeats every 358 lunations (10,571.95 days), or roughly 29 years minus 20 days.
- Preceding: An annular solar eclipse on February 17, 603
- Following: A total solar eclipse on January 6, 661
Triad
A triad cycle repeats every 1,074 lunations (31,715.85 days), or roughly 86 years and 304 days.
- Preceding: A hybrid solar eclipse on March 28, 545
- Following: An annular solar eclipse on November 26, 718
See also
References
- ^ a b c "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.
- ^ "الكتب – البداية والنهاية - سنة إحدى عشرة من الهجرة - فصل في ذكر أولاده عليه وعليهم الصلاة والسلام- الجزء رقم8". Islamic Library. Retrieved 28 November 2019.[dead link]
- ^ a b "Hadith - Sunan an-Nasa'i 1478 Chapter 12: Another version, Book 16: The Book of Eclipses Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)". Sunnah. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
- ^ "ٍSahih al-Bukhari 1060 - Eclipses - كتاب الكسوف". Sunnah.com. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "Sahih al-Bukhari 1046 - Eclipses - كتاب الكسوف". sunnah.com. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
- ^ "Hadith - Sunan Abi Dawud 1194 Chapter 10: Whoever Said That Only Two Ruku' Should Be Performed (In Eclipse Prayer), Book 3: The Book Of The Prayer For Rain (Kitab al-Istisqa')". Sunnah. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
- ^ "Hadith - Sahih Muslim 906a Chapter 3: What Was Shown To The Prophet Of Paradise And Hell During The Eclipse Prayer, Book 10: The Book of Prayer - Eclipses". Sunnah. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
- ^ "Sahih al-Bukhari 1059 Chapter 14: To remember Allah during the eclipse, Book 16: Eclipses". Sunnah. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
- ^ "Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses: -1999 to 3000" (PDF). NASA Eclipse. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "NASA - Catalog of Solar Eclipses of Saros 99". eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-13.