The signs prayer ( ar, صلاة الآيات, Ṣalāt al-ʾĀyāt) is one of the Muslim prayers that may be optional or mandatory depending on the specif conditions and the school of jurisprudence. When solar or lunar eclipses, earthquakes, thunder, or other natural phenomena (or ''signs'', hence the name ''signs prayer'') happen, Muslims may have to pray Ṣalāt al-ʾĀyāt. In

Twelver Shia Islam Twelver Shīʿīsm ( ar, ٱثْنَا عَشَرِيَّة; '), also known as Imāmīyyah ( ar, إِمَامِيَّة), is the largest branch of Shīʿa Islam, comprising about 85 percent of all Shīʿa Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers t ...

, al-Ayat Prayer consists of two

Rakat A Rak'ah ( ar, ركعة ', ; plural: ') is a single iteration of prescribed movements and supplications performed by Muslims as part of the prescribed obligatory prayer known as salah. Each of the five daily prayers observed by Muslims consis ...

s, and there are five

Ruku Rukūʿ ( ar, رُكوع, ) can refer to either of two things in Islam: * The act of belt-low bowing in standardized prayers, where the backbone should be in rest, before straightening up to go for sujud (full earth-low bowing). * A parag ...

in each. It is for specific conditions and have been described in detail in resalah of

marja' Marji ( ar, مرجع, transliteration: ''marjiʿ''; plural: ''marājiʿ''), literally meaning "source to follow" or "religious reference", is a title given to the highest level of Twelver Shia authority, a Grand Ayatollah with the authority gi ...

Title

Ayat ( ar, الآيات) in Arabic term means sign. This

prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deifi ...

was named al-Ayat (the sign), because when Solar eclipse or Lunar eclipse or other cases is happened, the signs of Allah's power appears for the people.

Background

In the past, some people were superstitious minds of the occurrence of natural disasters. For example, when

Ibrahim Ibrahim ( ar, إبراهيم, links=no ') is the Arabic name for Abraham, a Biblical patriarch and prophet in Islam. For the Islamic view of Ibrahim, see Abraham in Islam. Ibrahim may also refer to: * Ibrahim (name), a name (and list of people ...

, the son of

Prophet In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...

died, the solar eclipse occurred. People thought that the solar eclipse happened because of the death of the son of the Prophet. There is narration about it. When the prophet was informed of these words, he went pulpit and said: “Oh people! Surely the sun and moon are signs of Allah that are moving by Verdict of Allah. Lunar eclipse or Solar eclipse does not occur by the birth or death of any person. So that when one of them or both is happened, pray Salat al-Ayat.” And the prophet pray Salat al-Ayat with people. Since then, the Salat al-Ayat prayer were obligatory on Muslims. Ja’far al-Sadiq narrated that his father said: “Earthquakes, solar and lunar eclipses, strong and dreadful winds, are among the signs of the Day of Resurrection. Whenever you happen to witness them, think of the Day of Resurrection, seek refuge in mosques, and stand in prayer.

The necessity of salat al-Ayat

On practical laws that salat al-ayat is obligatory upon the occurrence of the following phenomena: *Solar eclipse and Lunar eclipse: Even if the sun or the moon are eclipsed only partially and the phenomenon does not create fear in any person. *Earthquakes: Even if none becomes afraid of it. *Thunder and lightning, and black and red winds that frighten most people.

Manner of performing

Shia Islam

Twelver

Al-Ayat Prayers consists of two

s, and there are five

in each. In following they have been explained ;Method 1 *After making

niyyah Niyyah (Arabic: نِيَّةٌ, variously transliterated niyyah, niyya , "intention") is an Islamic concept: the intention in one's heart to do an act for the sake of God (Allah). According to Ibn Rajab's ''Commentary on Imam Nawawi's Forty Hadit ...

of offering the prayers, one should say

takbir The Takbir ( ar, تَكْبِير, , "magnification f God) is the name for the Arabic phrase ' (, ), meaning "God is the greatest". It is a common Arabic expression, used in various contexts by Muslims and Arabs around the world: in formal Sala ...

(Allahu Akbar) and recite Surah al-fatiha and another

Surah A ''surah'' (; ar, سورة, sūrah, , ), is the equivalent of "chapter" in the Qur'an. There are 114 ''surahs'' in the Quran, each divided into '' ayats'' (verses). The chapters or ''surahs'' are of unequal length; the shortest surah ('' Al-K ...

, and then perform the Ruku. * Thereafter, he should stand and recite Surah al-fatiha and a Surah and then perform another Ruku. * He should repeat this action five times, and, when he stands after the fifth Ruku, he should perform two

Sujud Sujūd ( ar, سُجود, ), or sajdah (, ), is the act of low bowing or prostration to God facing the ''qiblah'' (direction of the Kaaba at Mecca). It is usually done in standardized prayers (salah). The position involves kneeling and bowing t ...

. * Then he should stand up to perform the second Rakat in the same manner as he has done in the first. * Then he should recite

Tashahhud The ''Tashahhud'' ( ar, تَشَهُّد, meaning "testimony faith]"), also known as at-Tahiyyat ( ar, ٱلتَّحِيَّات, lit=greetings, link=no), is the portion of the Salah, Muslim prayer where the person Sitting in salah, kneels or sits ...

and Salam. ;Method 2 * After making

to offer al-Ayat Prayers, a person is allowed to say takbir and recite Surah al-Fatiha and then divide the verses of the other Surah into five parts, and recite one verse or more or less and thereafter perform the Ruku. * He should then stand up and recite another part of the Surah (without reciting Surah al-Fatiha) and then perform another Ruku. He should repeat this action, and finish that Surah before performing the fifth Ruku.

References

{{reflist Salah Salah terminology