Page:Selections from Muhammadan Traditions - tr. William Goldsack (1923).djvu/88

68 It is related from Asmáʿ bint Abú Bakr that she said, 'Verily the Prophet ordered the liberation of a slave at the time of an eclipse of the sun.'—Al Bukhárí.

It is related from Nuʿmán bin Bashír that he said, 'The sun was eclipsed in the time of the Apostle of God, and he began to pray in two rakʿahs at a time, and he continued to ask concerning the sun until it became bright again.'—Abú Dáud. And in a tradition from An Nasái it runs, 'Verily the Prophet prayed when the sun was eclipsed the same as our (ordinary) prayers. He both bowed down and prostrated himself.'—And in another tradition it is related that, 'The Prophet came out on a certain day, hastening to the mosque, and the sun had become eclipsed. And he prayed until it became bright again. Then he said, "Verily the people of the time of ignorance (before Islam) used to say that the sun and the moon were eclipsed only for the death of some great person of the world. But verily the sun and the moon are not eclipsed for the death of anyone, nor yet for their life; but they are two parts of His creation. God makes new anything of his creation that He wishes. Therefore whichever of these two is eclipsed, pray until it becomes bright again, or God gives some new order."'—An Nasái.

It is related from Abú Bakr that he said, 'The Apostle of God, when a pleasing order came to him or one by which he was pleased, used to fall down in prostration as a thanksgiving to God most High.'—Abú Dáud, At Tirmidhí.

It is related from Saʿd bin abú Waqqáṣ that he said, 'We went out with the Apostle of God from Mecca, wishing to go to Madína. And when we approached Azwazá he alighted. Then he raised his hands and prayed to God for an hour. Then he fell down in prostration and remained thus for a long time. Then he rose up and raised his hands for an hour. Then he fell down in prostration, and remained thus for a long time. Then he rose up and raised his hands for an hour. Then he fell down in prostration, and he said (to us), "Verily I asked of my Lord and interceded for my followers, and He gave me one-third of my followers. Therefore I fell down in prostration before my Lord in thanksgiving. Then I raised my head and