English Translation

Kathir ibn Hisham told us, Hisham ibn Abi 'Abdullah, the companion of al-Dastawa'i, told us, from Abu al-Zubayr, from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah al-Ansari, who said: The sun eclipsed during the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, on a day of intense heat. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, led his companions in prayer, prolonging the standing until they began to fall down. Then he bowed and prolonged the bowing, then raised his head and prolonged the standing, then bowed again and prolonged the bowing, then raised his head and prolonged the standing, then prostrated twice. Then he stood and did the same again, then he would step forward, then he would step back. It amounted to four bowings and four prostrations. Then he said, "Everything you have been promised has been shown to me. Paradise was shown to me, such that had I reached out, I could have taken a cluster from it" — or he said, "I reached out and took a cluster from it, but then my hand fell short of it" — Hisham was uncertain. "And the Fire was shown to me, so I began to step back for fear that it would engulf you. I saw in it a tall, black Himyarite woman being punished because of a cat she had tied up, neither feeding it nor giving it water, nor letting it eat from the vermin of the earth. And I saw Abu Thumama 'Amr ibn Malik dragging his intestines in the Fire. These are two signs among the signs of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, which He shows you. So when there is an eclipse, pray until it clears."