Partial Solar Eclipse Salat al Ayaat Obligatory

A Partial Solar Eclipse will be observable in the Allentown, PA region on Saturday, October 14, 2023. During this event, the performance of Salat al-Ayaat is mandatory (wajib).

Here are the specifics:
– Start: Saturday, October 14, 2023, at 12:04 pm
– Peak: Saturday, October 14, 2023, at 1:19 pm
– Conclusion: Saturday, October 14, 2023, at 2:35 pm
– Duration: 2 hours and 31 minutes

For more details, visit: [https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/usa/allentown]

Salat al-Ayaat becomes obligatory when one is within the area of the eclipse, 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](http://www.islamic-laws.com/download/PrayersAyaat.pdf).