—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—that the sun does not eclipse because someone has died or been born. Similarly, the two Sahīh collections report from Ibn Abbās, who said:

“Men of the Ansār told me that they were with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when a shooting star was hurled and shone brightly. He asked, ‘What would you say about this in pre-Islamic times?’ They replied, ‘We would say: A great man has been born tonight, or a great man has died.’ He said, ‘They are not hurled because anyone has died or been born. Rather, when Allah decrees a matter, the bearers of the Throne glorify Him.’”

The hadith continues. Thus, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, explained that the hurling of meteors does not result from an event on earth, but from something that has occurred in heaven, and that they are hurled to drive away the devils who eavesdrop. Likewise, the sun and the moon are two of Allah’s signs through which He instils fear in His servants. As Allah says:

“We send the signs only as a warning.”

It is therefore known that these heavenly signs may be a cause of punishment. For this reason, whenever a cause for fear arose, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prescribed righteous deeds to avert it. He commanded the eclipse prayer—a lengthy prayer—and commanded the freeing of slaves, charity, supplication, and seeking forgiveness. As he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Indeed, affliction and supplication