The correct view is that the eclipse prayer is an obligatory duty, whether an individual obligation or a collective one. It is inconceivable that Muslims should witness Allah’s warning in the eclipse of the sun or moon and then neglect the prayer, when the Messenger ﷺ commanded it and commanded charity, declaring Allah’s greatness, seeking forgiveness, emancipating slaves, and hastening in alarm to the prayer. Something occurred in connection with it that had not been customary before. How, then, can all these circumstances accompany the command to perform it, yet we say that it is merely a sunnah, such that Muslims would not be sinful if they neglected it? The very least that may be said is that it is a collective obligation.

Then the Prayer for Rain, …

His statement, “Then the prayer for rain,” means that the prayer for rain comes next to the eclipse prayer in degree of emphasis. The scholars of the school explained this on the grounds that it is legislated to perform it in congregation. Thus, they made congregational performance the criterion of superiority: whatever is prescribed to be performed in congregation is superior to that for which congregation is not prescribed. Accordingly, in their view, the prayer for rain is superior, for example, to the witr prayer, because the prayer for rain is legislated to be performed in congregation, unlike witr. Whatever is prescribed to be performed in congregation is more emphatic than that which is not.

However, this is open to question.

The correct view is that witr is more emphatic than the prayer for rain, because the Prophet ﷺ consistently observed witr and commanded it, saying: “Make the witr prayer the last of your prayers at night” (1). He also said: “If any of you fears that dawn is approaching, let him pray a single rak‘ah, making