Partial Lunar Eclipse Salat al Ayaat Obligatory

Peace be upon you.

A partial lunar eclipse will occur over Allentown, PA, beginning on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at approximately 8:41 p.m. EDT.

Global Event: Partial Lunar Eclipse
Local Type: Partial Lunar Eclipse in Allentown
Begins: Tue, Sep 17, 2024 at 8:41 pm
Maximum: Tue, Sep 17, 2024 at 10:44 pm
Ends: Wed, Sep 18, 2024 at 12:47 am

Source: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/@z-us-18104?iso=20240918

Salat al-Ayaat becomes obligatory within the eclipse area, even if it’s only a partial eclipse of the sun or moon.

**Procedure for Salat-ul-Ayaat:**

Salat al-Ayaat comprises two rakats with five rukus each. Here are the methods to perform it:

**Standard Method:**

Intention (Niyaat): Two rak’at wajib qurbatan ilal-lah.

• In both rak’ats, perform five rukus:
• After reciting al-Hamd and another surah, proceed to ruku.
• Rise and recite two surahs, then go to ruku.
• Repeat this process five times, followed by the sajdah.
• Perform the 2nd rak’at similarly, concluding with the tashahhud and salam.

**Abbreviated Method: **

Ayatullah Sayyid Ali al-Husaini al-Sistani states that Bismillah (Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem) is not a part of all Qur’an Surahs except Surah Al-Fatiha. It’s mandatory to recite it before every Surah (except Surah Al-Tauba) during prayers or Qur’an recitation. When performing the shortened Salat al-Ayaat, choose a Surah with at least 5 Ayaats excluding Bismil-Lah. Surah Al-Qadr, which has precisely 5 Ayaats apart from Bismillah, is a suggested choice.

• Intention (Niyaat): Two rak’at wajib qurbatan ilal-lah.
• In both rak’ats, perform five rukus:
• After al-Hamd, break down another surah for five rukus, for example:
1. Innaa anzalnaahu fee lailatil qadr + ruku
2. Wa maa adraaka ma lailatul qadr + ruku
3. Lailatul qadri khairum min alfee shahr + ruku
4. Tanaz zalul malaa-ikatu war roohu feeha bi izni-rab bihim min kulli amr + ruku
5. Salaamun hiya hattaa mat la’il fajr + ruku
• Proceed to sajdah and repeat the second rak’at similarly.

For a comprehensive understanding of the rules and guidelines, consult the Risalah of Ayatullah Sayyid Ali al-Husaini al-Sistani, available at: (http://www.islamic-laws.com/download/PrayersAyaat.pdf).