Q. Are we permitted to go outside and watch the eclipse?
A. 🌑 When the Sun Is Eclipsed — This Is Not a Celebration!
An eclipse occurs when the light of the sun or moon is obscured. But for the believer, it is not merely an astronomical event to gather outside, watch, photograph or celebrate.
It is one of the signs of Allah, a sign by which Allah causes His servants to fear Him.
When a solar eclipse occurred during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, his response was not excitement or entertainment.
Abū Mūsā رضي الله عنه narrated that when the sun eclipsed:
“The Prophet ﷺ got up in a state of fear, thinking that it might be the Hour.”
He ﷺ hurried to the Masjid and stood in a long prayer, prolonging his standing, bowing and prostration. He then said:
“These signs which Allah sends do not occur because of the life or death of anyone, but Allah causes His servants to fear by them. So when you see anything of that, hasten to the remembrance of Allah, supplicate to Him and seek His forgiveness.”
— Bukhārī
This was the response of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: fear, prayer, duʿā’, dhikr and istighfār.
And he ﷺ commanded:
“When you see them, supplicate to Allah and pray until it becomes clear.”
— Bukhārī
ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها described how the Prophet ﷺ prolonged the eclipse prayer, with lengthy standing and bowing, until the eclipse had cleared.
So an eclipse is not an Eid, a holiday or an occasion for entertainment. We have no guidance from the Prophet ﷺ teaching us to go out merely to watch and enjoy it. Rather, his Sunnah teaches the believer to recognise the seriousness of Allah’s signs and turn immediately back to Him.
The same Prophet ﷺ who received revelation feared that it might be the Hour. What, then, should our condition be?
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the best and most knowledgeable of creation concerning Allah, the most God-fearing of mankind, and our perfect example. Yet when he ﷺ witnessed the eclipse, he became fearful and hastened to prayer.
Allah تعالى said:
﴿لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ﴾
“Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad ﷺ) you have a good example to follow…”
— Sūrah al-Aḥzāb, verse 21
So if we truly love the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, we follow him. We fear when he feared, we pray as he prayed, and we respond to the signs of Allah as he taught us to respond. Guidance is not found in following our feelings, customs or what people have turned an occasion into; guidance is in following the footsteps of Muhammad ﷺ.
When Allah displays one of His mighty signs, let our first response be the response of His beloved Messenger ﷺ:
Hasten to the prayer. Remember Allah. Seek His forgiveness. Give charity. Make duʿā’. And fear the One who controls the sun, the moon, the heavens and the earth.
🌑 What should a Muslim do during an eclipse?
The Sunnah is to turn to Allah with:
• Ṣalāt al-Kusūf — the eclipse prayer.
• Duʿā’ and dhikr — remembering Allah and calling upon Him.
• Istighfār and tawbah — seeking Allah’s forgiveness and sincerely repenting.
• Ṣadaqah — giving charity.
• Fear of Allah — remembering that these are among His signs and that the Hour is a reality.
— Shaykh Musa Jibril حفظه الله
https://t.me/LightOfTheTruth