English Translation

Yahya told us, from Abd al-Malik: Ata' informed me, from Jabir, who said: The sun was eclipsed during the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and that was the day Ibrahim, peace be upon him, the son of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, died. The people said: "The sun has only eclipsed because of the death of Ibrahim." So the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, stood and led the people in prayer of six bowings in four prostrations. He said the takbir, then recited and prolonged the recitation, then bowed for a period close to his standing, then raised his head and recited less than the first recitation, then bowed for a period close to his standing, then raised his head and recited less than the second recitation, then bowed for a period close to his standing, then raised his head and went down for prostration, and prostrated twice. Then he stood and performed three more bowings before prostrating, none of which was shorter than the one preceding it except that his bowing was close to his standing in length. Then he stepped back in his prayer and the rows stepped back with him, then he stepped forward and stood in his place and the rows stepped forward, and he completed the prayer after the sun had already reappeared. He said: "O people, the sun and the moon are two signs among the signs of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and they are not eclipsed for the death of any human being. So when you see something of that, pray until it clears. There is nothing that you have been warned of but that I have seen it in this prayer of mine. The Fire was brought, and that is when you saw me step back, fearing that its flames would reach me, until I said, 'O my Lord, while I am among them?' And I saw in it the owner of the crooked staff (sahib al-mihjan) dragging his intestines in the Fire; he used to steal from the pilgrims with his staff, and if he was noticed he would say, 'It merely got caught on my staff,' but if unnoticed he would make off with it. And I also saw in it the woman who tied up a cat and neither fed it nor let it eat from the vermin of the earth until it died of hunger. And Paradise was brought, and that is when you saw me step forward until I stood in my place; I stretched out my hand intending to take some of its fruit for you to see, but then it occurred to me not to do so."