The Prayer for Eclipses, Earthquakes, Winds, and Oppression and Their Causes

In the explanations attributed to al-Fadl ibn Shadhan, narrated from Imam al-Ridha عليه السلام, He said: "The prayer for the eclipse was instituted because it is one of the signs of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Blessed and Exalted, and it is not known whether it appeared as a mercy or as a punishment. Therefore, The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم wanted his community to turn in supplication to their Creator and Merciful Lord عز وجل at such moments so that He might avert its harm from them and protect them from its displeasure, just as He protected the people of Yunus (Jonah) when they turned to Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Mighty and Glorious, in supplication." He continued: "It was established with ten units of prayer because the original prayer, whose obligation was revealed from the heavens, initially consisted of ten units during the day and night, so these units were combined here. The inclusion of prostration is because any prayer that contains bowing must also contain prostration, and it serves to conclude their prayer with submission and humility. Four prostrations were specified because any prayer lacking four prostrations cannot be considered a valid prayer, as the minimum obligatory prostrations in a prayer are four. The reason that bowing (Ruku') was not substituted with prostration is that prayer standing up is superior to prayer sitting down, and because one standing can witness the eclipse above, whereas one in prostration cannot see it." He added: "The prayer for the eclipse was altered from the original form of prayer that Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Mighty and Glorious, had prescribed because it is performed due to a change in one of the natural phenomena, the eclipse. When the cause changes, the practice associated with it changes accordingly."