The Sun's Stillness
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 35
سَأَلَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنْ رُكُودِ اَلشَّمْسِ فَقَالَ «يَا مُحَمَّدُ مَا أَصْغَرَ جُثَّتَكَ وَ أَعْضَلَ مَسْأَلَتَكَ وَ إِنَّكَ لَأَهْلٌ لِلْجَوَابِ إِنَّ اَلشَّمْسَ إِذَا طَلَعَتْ جَذَبَهَا سَبْعُونَ أَلْفَ مَلَكٍ بَعْدَ أَنْ أَخَذَ بِكُلِّ شُعَاعٍ مِنْهَا خَمْسَةُ آلاَفٍ مِنَ اَلْمَلاَئِكَةِ مِنْ بَيْنِ جَاذِبٍ وَ دَافِعٍ حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَتِ اَلْجَوَّ وَ جَازَتِ اَلْكَوَّ قَلَبَهَا مَلَكُ اَلنُّورِ ظَهْراً لِبَطْنٍ فَصَارَ مَا يَلِي اَلْأَرْضَ إِلَى اَلسَّمَاءِ وَ بَلَغَ شُعَاعُهَا تُخُومَ اَلْعَرْشِ فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ نَادَتِ اَلْمَلاَئِكَةُ سُبْحَانَ اَللَّهِ وَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اَللَّهُ وَ «اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ اَلَّذِي لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ» صَاحِبَةً وَ لاَ «وَلَداً وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ شَرِيكٌ فِي اَلْمُلْكِ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ وَلِيٌّ مِنَ اَلذُّلِّ وَ كَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيراً» » فَقَالَ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أُحَافِظُ عَلَى هَذَا اَلْكَلاَمِ عِنْدَ زَوَالِ اَلشَّمْسِ فَقَالَ «نَعَمْ حَافِظْ عَلَيْهِ كَمَا تُحَافِظُ عَلَى عَيْنِكَ فَإِذَا زَالَتِ اَلشَّمْسُ صَارَتِ اَلْمَلاَئِكَةُ مِنْ وَرَائِهَا يُسَبِّحُونَ اَللَّهَ فِي فَلَكِ اَلْجَوِّ إِلَى أَنْ تَغِيبَ.
Muhammad ibn Muslim asked Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir عليه السلام stillness of the sun. Imam عليه السلام said: "O’ Muhammad, how small is your form and how challenging is your question! And indeed, you are worthy of an answer. When the sun rises, seventy thousand angels pull it, and for each of its rays, five thousand angels are responsible for both pulling and pushing it. When it reaches the sky and passes the 'arc,' the angel of light flips it from back to front so that what was facing the earth turns towards the sky, and its rays reach the boundaries of the Throne. At this moment, the angels exclaim, 'Glory be to Allah سبحانه وتعالى, and there is no deity but Allah سبحانه وتعالى, and all praise is due to Allah سبحانه وتعالى, who has not taken a consort nor a son, and who has no partner in His dominion, nor does He need a protector out of weakness, so glorify Him with great glorification.'" Muhammad then asked: "Shall I maintain this supplication at the sun's zenith?" Imam عليه السلام said: "Yes, preserve it as you would preserve your own eyes, for when the sun passes its zenith, the angels remain behind it, glorifying Allah سبحانه وتعالى in the sky until it sets”.
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَ سُئِلَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنِ اَلشَّمْسِ كَيْفَ تَرْكُدُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ وَ لاَ يَكُونُ لَهَا يَوْمَ اَلْجُمُعَةِ رُكُودٌ قَالَ «لِأَنَّ اَللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ جَعَلَ يَوْمَ اَلْجُمُعَةِ أَضْيَقَ اَلْأَيَّامِ» فَقِيلَ لَهُ وَ لِمَ جَعَلَهُ أَضْيَقَ اَلْأَيَّامِ قَالَ «لِأَنَّهُ لاَ يُعَذِّبُ اَلْمُشْرِكِينَ فِي ذَلِكَ اَلْيَوْمِ لِحُرْمَتِهِ عِنْدَهُ.
Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام was asked about the sun’s stillness (or 'pause') every day and why there is no such stillness for it on Jumu’ah. Imam عليه السلام said: "Because Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Mighty and Majestic, made Jumu’ah the most constricted (or significant) of the days." It was then asked: "And why did He make it the most constricted of days?" Imam عليه السلام said: "Because on that day He does not punish the polytheists, due to the sanctity it holds with Him."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ حَرِيزِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فَسَأَلَهُ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنَّ اَلشَّمْسَ تَنْقَضُّ ثُمَّ تَرْكُدُ سَاعَةً مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَزُولَ فَقَالَ «إِنَّهَا تُؤَامِرُ أَ تَزُولُ أَوْ لاَ تَزُولُ.
It was narrated from Hariz ibn Abdullah that He said: I was with Abu 'Abdillah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام when a man asked him, "May I be sacrificed for you, the sun seems to descend (move downward) and then becomes still for a moment before it reaches its zenith." Imam عليه السلام replied: "It consults whether it should continue or not”.
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh