Namaz E Ayaat - Salat al-ayaat

Namaz-e-Ayaat / Salat al-ayaat (the Prayer of Signs) is an obligatory (wajib) two-rak'at prayer performed during natural event, such as..

1. Solar eclipse.

2. Lunar eclipse.

3. Earthquake.

4. Frightening phenomena / any natural occurrence which normally creates fear in the common people, like black, red or yellow storm, cyclone etc.In solar and lunar eclipses, the time of the "prayer of signs" is from beginning of the eclipse till it is completely cleared.

In other causes like earthquake it must be prayed soon after the cause subsides. But it is always ada even if prayed many days after its occurrence.

First Rak'atNiyyat (Intention): Make the intention to pray Namaz-e-Ayaat for the sake of Allah.

Takbeer: Say Allahu Akbar to begin.

First Recitation & Ruku': Recite Surah al-Hamd followed by any other complete Surah (like Surah al-Ikhlas), then go into Ruku'.

Second Recitation & Ruku': Stand up, recite Surah al-Hamd and other Surah again, then go into the second Ruku'.

Third, Fourth, and Fifth: Repeat this pattern (stand, recite Hamd and a Surah, go to Ruku') until you have completed five Ruku's.

Qunoot is Optional: You can recite Qunut before every even-numbered Ruku' (i.e., before the 2nd and 4th Ruku' in this rak'at).

Sajdah: After rising from the fifth Ruku', perform two Sajdahs as normal.

Second Rak'at

Stand up and repeat the exact same process as the first rak'at (as above)

End Salaat: After the 10th Ruku', perform the final two Sajdahs. Recite Tashahhud and Salam to finish the prayer.

Also you are allowed to pray this prayer by a short method:

After Takbiratul-Ihram, you recite Surah al-Hamd, and only a part of a Surah; then go to the first ruku’, after rising recite another subsequent part of that Surah and go to the second ruku’, rise again and recite the third subsequent part of that Surah and go to the 3rd ruku’. Likewise do before the 4th and the 5th ruku’, finishing the Surah before 5th ruku’.

For example: You may recite

bismil lāhir raḥmānir raḥīm. qul aʿūdhu birabbil falaq - before first ruku’;

min sharri mā khalaq - before the 2nd ruku’;

wa min sharri ghāsiqin idhā waqab - before the 3rd ruku’;

wa min sharrin naffāthāti fil ʿuqad - before the 4th ruku’; and

wa min sharri ḥāsidin idhā ḥasad - before the the 5th ruku’,

Thus you would have read only one al-Hamd and only one complete Surah in one rak’at.

You may recite one rak’at in one way and the other rak’at in the other way or both in the same way.

Ruling - Syed Sistani

Ruling 1470. Ṣalāt al‑āyāt, for which the method of performance will be explained later, becomes obligatory when the following three phenomena occur:

1. solar eclipse;

2. lunar eclipse;

and with the occurrence of these two phenomena, ṣalāt al‑āyāt becomes obligatory even if the eclipse is partial and one is not frightened by it;

3. earthquake, based on obligatory precaution, even if one is not frightened by it.

Based on recommended precaution, ṣalāt al‑āyāt should be performed when thunder and lightning, gales that make the sky look black or red, and other similar natural celestial phenomena occur, provided that most people are frightened by them. Similarly, [the prayer should be performed] when natural terrestrial phenomena occur that cause most people to fear, such as sinkholes and rock-slides.

Ruling 1471. If more than one phenomenon that makes it obligatory to perform ṣalāt al‑āyāt occurs, one must perform ṣalāt al‑āyāt for each one of them. For example, if there is a solar eclipse and an earthquake, one must perform two ṣalāt al‑āyāts.

Ruling 1472. If it is obligatory for someone to perform a number of qaḍāʾ ṣalāt al‑āyāts, whether they have become obligatory due to the same phenomenon – for example, there were three solar eclipses for which he did not perform ṣalāt al‑āyāt – or they have become obligatory due to different phenomena – for example, a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse, and an earthquake – then, when one makes them up, it is not necessary for him to specify the phenomenon for which he is performing the prayer.

Ruling 1473. When a phenomenon occurs for which ṣalāt al‑āyāt is obligatory, only the people of the area in which the phenomenon occurred must perform ṣalāt al‑āyāt. It is not obligatory for people in other areas.

Ruling 1474. The time for performing ṣalāt al‑āyāt for a solar or lunar eclipse commences from the moment the eclipse begins, and it continues until the sun or the moon goes back to its normal state (although it is better not to delay the prayer until the eclipse starts to reverse). However, completing ṣalāt al‑āyāt can be delayed until after the eclipse is over.[1]

Ruling 1475. If a person delays performing ṣalāt al‑āyāt until the eclipse begins to reverse, there is no problem if he performs it with the intention of adāʾ. However, once the eclipse is over, the prayer becomes qaḍāʾ.

Ruling 1476. If an eclipse lasts long enough for one rakʿah or less to be performed, one must perform the prayer with the intention of adāʾ. The same applies if the eclipse lasts for a longer time. If one does not perform the prayer until the time remaining is enough to perform only one rakʿah or less, ṣalāt al‑āyāt must still be performed with the intention of adāʾ.

Ruling 1477. When thunder, lightning, and other similar natural phenomena occur, if one wants to [perform ṣalāt al‑āyāt] as a precautionary measure, and if these phenomena last a long time, it is not necessary for him to perform the prayer immediately. In other cases, such as an earthquake, one must perform it immediately in a way that people would not consider it delayed. If he does delay it, the recommended precaution is that he should perform it later without making an intention of adāʾ or qaḍāʾ.

Ruling 1478. If a person does not know about the occurrence of an eclipse and after the eclipse is over he realises that there was a total eclipse, he must make up the ṣalāt al‑āyāt. However, if he realises that it was a partial eclipse, then making it up is not obligatory for him.

Ruling 1479. If a group of people say that an eclipse has occurred, in the event that one does not personally attain certainty or confidence [that an eclipse has occurred] and does not perform ṣalāt al‑āyāt, and later he realises that they were right, then in case it was a total eclipse, he must perform ṣalāt al‑āyāt. However, if it was a partial eclipse, it is not obligatory for him to perform ṣalāt al‑āyāt. The same applies if two people about whom one does not know whether they are dutiful or not say that an eclipse has occurred, and later he realises that they were dutiful.

Ruling 1480. If a person attains confidence that an eclipse has occurred based on the statement of persons who know the time of eclipses by means of scientific principles, he must perform ṣalāt al‑āyāt. Furthermore, if they say the eclipse will take place at such and such time and that it will last for such and such duration, and one attains confidence in what they say, he must act according to what they say.

Ruling 1481. If a person realises that the ṣalāt al‑āyāt he performed for a solar or lunar eclipse was invalid, he must perform it again; and if the time for it has passed, he must make it up.

Ruling 1482. If ṣalāt al‑āyāt becomes obligatory for someone during the time of a daily prayer, in the event that there is enough time for him to perform both of them, it is not a problem whichever one he performs first. However, if the time for performing one of them is short, he must perform that one first; and if the time for both of them is short, he must perform the daily prayer first.

Ruling 1483. If while performing the daily prayer one realises that the time for performing ṣalāt al‑āyāt is short, in the event that the time for performing the daily prayer is also short, he must complete it and then perform ṣalāt al‑āyāt. If the time for the daily prayer is not short, he must break his prayer and first perform ṣalāt al‑āyāt and then perform the daily prayer.

Ruling 1484. If while performing ṣalāt al‑āyāt one realises that the time for performing the daily prayer is short, he must leave the ṣalāt al‑āyāt unfinished and without doing anything that invalidates prayers, he must start performing the daily prayer. After completing the prayer but before doing something that invalidates prayers, he must continue performing the rest of ṣalāt al‑āyāt from the point he left it.

Ruling 1485. If a woman is in the state of ḥayḍ or nifās and an eclipse or earthquake occurs, it is not obligatory for her to perform ṣalāt al‑āyāt, nor does she have to make it up.