Muhammad's eclipse

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Solar eclipse of January 27, 632
SE0632Jan27A.png
Solar eclipse of January 27, 632
Type of eclipse
NatureAnnular
Gamma 0.6856
Magnitude 0.9836
Maximum eclipse
Duration100 s (01m 40s)
Coordinates 22°42′N70°30′E / 22.7°N 70.5°E / 22.7; 70.5
Max. width of band78.4 km
Times (UTC) [1]
(P1) Partial begin03:57:45
(U1) Total begin05:10:05
Greatest eclipse06:31:27
(U4) Total end07:52:33
(P4) Partial end09:05:03
References
Saros 99 (23 of 72)

Muhammad's eclipse was an annular solar eclipse that occurred on January 27, 632, and was visible across parts of East Africa, North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, the Far East, and Siberia. [1] This eclipse is especially relevant to the history of Islam as it is identified as the eclipse that occurred during the life of the final Islamic prophet, Muhammad, upon the death of his youngest son, Ibrahim. It is exclusively documented in Islamic sīrah (biographies of Muhammad) and hadith literature.

Contents

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.

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. [6]

Eclipse prayer and sermon

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.

Muhammad delivered a khutbah (sermon) following the prayer, saying: [11]

The sun and the moon are two of God’s signs; they are not eclipsed on account of anyone’s death or on account of anyone's birth, so when you see that, supplicate God, declare His greatness, pray, and give alms. [...] O people of Muhammad, I swear by God that no one is more indignant than God when His servant or handmaiden commits fornication. O people of Muhammad, I swear by God that if you knew what I know you would laugh little and weep much.

Solar eclipses of 632

This eclipse was the first of three solar eclipses that occurred in the year 632. [12]

Tzolkinex

A tzolkinex cycle repeats every 88 lunations (2,598.691 days), or roughly 7 years, 1 month and 12 days.

Tritos

A tritos cycle repeats every 135 lunations (3,986.628 days), or roughly 10 years and 11 months.

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] [13]

Inex

An inex cycle repeats every 358 lunations (10,571.95 days), or roughly 29 years minus 20 days.

Triad

A triad cycle repeats every 1,074 lunations (31,715.85 days), or roughly 86 years and 304 days.

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Nasa, eclipse of January 27, 632" (PDF).
  2. ↑ "EclipseWise – Eclipses of History: Part 2: Solar Eclipses of the Middle Ages". www.eclipsewise.com.
  3. ↑ Armstrong, Karen (2007). Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN   978-0061155772.
  4. ↑ "History Encyclopedia - The death of Ibraaheem, the son of the Prophet ﷺ". Aldorar Alsaniyyah. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  5. 1 2 "Sunan an-Nasa'i 1478 - The Book of Eclipses". Sunnah.com. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  6. ↑ "ٍSahih al-Bukhari 1060 - Eclipses - كتاب الكسوف". Sunnah.com. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  7. ↑ "Sahih al-Bukhari 1046 - Eclipses". sunnah.com. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  8. ↑ "Sunan Abi Dawud 1194 - The Book Of The Prayer For Rain (Kitab al-Istisqa')". Sunnah.com. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Sahih Muslim 906a - The Book of Prayer - Eclipses". Sunnah.com. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Sahih al-Bukhari 1059 - Eclipses". Sunnah. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Mishkat al-Masabih 1483 - Prayer". Sunnah.com. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  12. ↑ "Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses: -1999 to 3000" (PDF). NASA Eclipse. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  13. ↑ "NASA - Catalog of Solar Eclipses of Saros 99". eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
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