The Return Of The Sun For Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ

Darulifta Ahlesunnat

(Dawateislami)

Question

   What do Islamic scholars and Muftis say about one of the famous miracles of the Greatest and Final Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم  ? It is narrated that when the Salah of Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ was missed, the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم made the sun to return for him. At that moment, when the Salah of Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ was missed, the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was resting placing his [blessed] head on the lap of Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ. The question is, whether the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم also missed the Salah along with Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, or he صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم had already offered his Salah?

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

   It is clearly evident in the blessed Hadiths that the Greatest and Final Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم had offered his Asr Salah on that occasion. Only the Salah of Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ was missed.

   It is stated in the blessed Hadith of Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir:

عن اسماء بنت عمیس ان رسول اللہ صلی اللہ تعالیٰ علیہ وآلہ وسلم صلی الظھر بالصھباء ثم ارسل علیا فی حاجۃ فرجع وقد صلی النبی  صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم العصر فوضع النبی  صلی اللہ تعالیٰ علیہ وآلہ وسلم راسہ فی حجر علی  فنام فلم یحرکہ حتی غابت الشمس فقال النبی صلی اللہ تعالیٰ علیہ وآلہ وسلم ”اللھم ان عبدک علیا احتبس بنفسہ علی نبیہ فرد علی الشمس“  قالت فطلعت علیہ الشمس حتی رفعت علی الجبال وعلی الارض وقام علی فتوضا وصلی العصر ثم غابت وذلک بالصھباء

Translation: Sayyidatuna Asma bint-e-Umais رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُا narrates that the Greatest and Final Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم offered Zuhr Salah at the place of Sahba and sent Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ on errands. Upon his return, the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم had already offered Asr Salah. Subsequently, the Greatest and Final Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم rested, placing his blessed head on the lap of Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ. Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ did not move until the sun set. (When the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم awoke, he صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said these words regarding the missed Salah of Sayyiduna Ali.)

   Translation: O Allah Almighty! Your bondman Ali was obeying to his Prophet, so bring the sun back.

   Sayyidatuna Asma رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا recounts that the sun rose again; to the extent the mountains and the earth were covered with sunlight. Subsequently, Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ stood up, performed Wudu, and offered Asr Salah. Then the sun set again. This entire event unfolded at the place of Sahba.(Al Mujam al Kabeer, vol. 24, p. 144, Qahira)

   The detail of this event is stated in Sharh Zurqani:

فلم یصل علی العصر حتی غربت الشمس واما المصطفی فکان قد صلاھا کما یاتی فی الروایۃ الاخری

Meaning, Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ had not yet offered Asr Salah when the sun set. Whereas, the Greatest and Final Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم had offered Asr Salah as explained in another narration. (Sharah Al Zurqani, vol. 6, p. 485)

   It is stated in Seerat-e-Mustafa صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, “Sayyidatuna Asma Bint-e-Umais رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهَا narrated: The Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم offered Salat-ul-Asr at the stopover called ‘Sahba’ near Khayber. Then, placing his blessed head on the lap of Sayyiduna ‘Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ, he صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم went to sleep. Meanwhile, he صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم began to receive revelation. Sayyiduna ‘Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ continued to sit with the blessed head on his lap until the sun set. When the Greatest and Noblest Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم became aware that the Asr Salah of Sayyiduna ‘Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ had been missed, he صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم prayed, ‘O Allah Almighty! ‘Ali was obeying You and Your Rasool. Therefore, make the sun reappear so that ‘Ali will offer Asr Salah.’

   Sayyidatuna Asma Bint-e-Umais رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ stated: I saw with my own eyes that the sun that had set reappeared with sunlight shining on the peaks of the mountains and everywhere on the earth.”(Seerat-e-Mustafa, p. 722, Maktaba-tul-Madina, Karachi)

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

(Allah Almighty knows best and His Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم knows best.)

Answered By: Mufti Abu Muhammad Ali Asghar Attari Madani

Ref No: Gul-2382

Date: 13 Jamadi-ul-Oula 1443 AH / 18 December 2021