Nor has the sun ever been known to return after setting. Although many philosophers and natural philosophers, as well as some speculative theologians, deny the splitting of the moon and similar events, this is not the place to discuss that. The point is that this would be among the greatest departures from the ordinary course of celestial events, and many people deny its very possibility. Had it occurred, it would have become more widely known and more extensively reported than lesser events. How, then, can it be accepted when the hadith relating it has no well-known chain of transmission? This establishes with certainty that the report is false and that the event never occurred.

If, however, the sun was obscured by clouds and those clouds then lifted, this is an ordinary occurrence. Perhaps they thought it had set, and then the clouds cleared to reveal it.

Even if this did occur, it would mean that Allah made it clear to him that the prayer time had not yet expired, so that he could pray within it. Such things happen to many people.

A treatise was written on this hadith, collecting its various chains of transmission. Its author was Abū al-Qāsim ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Abd Allāh (1) ibn Ahmad al-Hakānī, who entitled it “A Study on Establishing the Authenticity of the Sun’s Return and Encouraging the Recalcitrant Opponents of ‘Alī” (2). He said: This is a hadith related from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—through Asmā’ bint ‘Umays al-Khath‘amiyyah, through the Commander of the Faithful, ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib, and through Abū Hurayrah and Abū Sa‘īd. Asmā’s hadith was cited through Muhammad ibn Abī Fudayk.