congregation, reading the Fātiḥah in a loud voice, as in the Friday service (Bu. 15:1, 16).69

Service during eclipse

A prayer service of two rak‘ahs was held by the Holy Prophet during an eclipse of the sun. This eclipse occurred on the day of the death of Ibrāhīm, the Holy Prophet’s eighteen months old son. The service differed from the ordinary prayer service in that there were two qiyāms and two rukū‘s in each rak‘ah.70 There is also mention of a sermon having been delivered after the service (Bu. 16:4). In this sermon, the Holy Prophet, while enjoining charity and seeking of forgiveness from God (istighfār), referred particularly to Ibrāhīm’s death. When the people saw that the sun had darkened, they began to say among themselves that this was due to Ibrāhīm’s death. The Holy Prophet rebutted this idea in his sermon, saying that “the sun and the moon do not suffer eclipse for anyone’s death or life” (Bu. 16:13). This was the only occasion of an eclipse on which a service was held by the Holy Prophet (ZM. I, p. 129).