Lunar Eclipse in North America on January 20th, 2019

January 18, 2019

There will be a total lunar eclipse which will be visible over the majority of North America beginning Sunday, January 20th, 2019 wherein Salat al-Ayaat is obligatory (wajib). For more details about the lunar eclipse and the time it will occur in your respective area, please click here.  For those areas where a partial eclipse will be visible (when the earth’s shadow covers only a part of the moon) please refer to the map for your location, as Salat al-Ayaat is also obligatory (wajib).

Religious obligation:

During a solar or lunar eclipse, it is obligatory (wajib) to perform a special prayer called Salat al-Ayyat. The prayer becomes wajib even if the moon or the sun are partially eclipsed, and even if they do not engender any fear.

When should I perform Salat al-Ayaat?

The time of Salat al-Ayaat sets in as the eclipse starts, and remains till the eclipse is over.

The specific instructions on how to perform the prayer are given below.

Note, that Salat al-Ayaat is not required upon a woman who is in her menses (haydh) or postpartum bleeding (nifas), nor would she be required to make-up the prayer (qadha).

How to perform the prayer of “al-Ayaat”, a two unit (Rakah) prayer with five Ruku in each unit:

1.  Make the intention (Niyyah) of offering the prayers as “Salat al-Ayaat”.
2.  One should say Takbir: “Allahu Akbar”
3.  Recite Surat al-Fatiha and any other Surah*
4.  Then perform Ruku.
5.  After Ruku, then stand and recite Surat al-Fatiha and any other Surah and then perform another Ruku.
6. One should repeat this action (steps 3 & 4) five times, and when one stands after the fifth Ruku, one should then proceed to perform the two Sajdah (as in the normal Fajr prayer). Then stand up to perform the second Rakah in the same manner as was done in the first Rakah (with the five Ruku).
7.  After performing the second set of Sajdah, one should recite Tashahhud and end the prayer with Salam to complete it.

*Please note that a person is allowed to say Takbir and recite Surat al-Fatiha and then divide the verses of another Surah into five parts, and recite one verse or more or less, and thereafter perform the Ruku. One should then stand up and recite another part of the Surah (without reciting Surat al-Fatiha) and then perform another Ruku. This should be repeated and the Surah must be finished before performing the fifth Ruku. For more details see the Islamic Law Book by clicking here.