KİTABIN MUKADDİMESİ · Üçüncü Madde
**Article Three**
Concerning the night, the day, the sun's prostrations; solar and lunar eclipses.
Beloved! It is known that the majority of scholars of interpretation (tafsir) and hadith have stated: Every time the sun sets, the angel appointed for the night hangs the black jewel of night from the heavens towards the eastern side, slowly sending it across the horizons, while the angel appointed for the day gradually raises the white jewel of day into the sky. Thus, the jewels of night cover the horizons and the dark night appears. When the intensely bright sun sets, the angels charged with holding it rapidly raise it from the sky to beneath the Throne of Majesty within two hours. Here, the sun prostrates before the Merciful Lord of the universe, and the angels prostrate along with it. Gabriel (peace be upon him) clothes the sun in a garment of light from the light of the Throne.
Then, when the time of night is complete, two hours before the time of sunrise, the angel appointed for the day hangs the white jewel of day from the horizon towards the eastern side, slowly sending it across the horizons, while the angel appointed for the night gradually raises the black jewel of night into the sky. Until the white jewel of day covers all the horizons and illuminates the world. The angel charged with carrying the sun rapidly lowers it from one heaven to another, bringing it within two hours to the point where it rose that day. Then, when the bright sun rises, three hundred sixty sun angels rise with it, reciting glorification and praise, spreading their wings. They move the luminous sun according to the determined hours and minutes of that day, carrying it westward. Thus, the luminous sun rises from the west; it continues to come and go in this manner until the approach of the Day of Judgment. When the Day of Judgment approaches, they wait beneath the Throne for three days, and on the fourth day, it should rise from the west. This is the most well-known condition for the occurrence of the Day of Judgment and the greatest sign of its coming.
After the sun rises from the west, repentance will no longer be accepted. Regret for disbelief and disobedience will not benefit anyone.
The Most High has ordained specific times for solar and lunar eclipses so that the servants on earth may witness the changes occurring to the sun and moon, turn towards God, and repent.
Regarding the time of a solar eclipse, the luminous sun dismounts from its chariot and goes toward the sea in the sky. If it falls completely into that sea, then a total solar eclipse occurs. The light of the sun which obscures the stars vanishes, and the largest of the stars appears. And if half of the sun falls into the sea of the heavens, an eclipse occurs to the extent that it fell. At the time of a solar eclipse, the sun’s angels are divided into two groups. One group draws it towards its chariot while reciting glorification. The other group brings the chariot closer to the sun, also reciting glorification. They then take the sun westward and carry it away. In this manner, within a period of two or three hours, they place the luminous sun back in its chariot. Then, they draw the luminous sun towards the point where it set while giving light to the world.
When the time for a lunar eclipse arrives, similarly, the beautiful moon falls into the depths of the sea of the heavens, either completely or partially, and an eclipse occurs to the extent that it fell. The angels charged with moving it are also divided into two groups. As described above, they place the moon back in its chariot. The moon shines again; it illuminates the dark night, and the angels carry it back to where it set. There are many benefits from solar and lunar eclipses. One of them is that the falsehood of those who take the sun and moon as gods becomes apparent [10/a], for a changing thing cannot be God. Just as the sun’s shining on its own after three days when the light has disappeared, and the fact that the moon is eclipsed while full indicates it is near waning, so too, in accordance with the saying, "Every one who attains perfection is destined to decline," it shows those possessing perfection in abundance that they should not be secure from calamity and turn towards the True Lord. The Most Noble Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) said: “I prefer being tried with tribulation while feeling safe than being safe and then tested” [407]. For God only gives a sense of security to a servant so that he may be tested.
Another benefit of solar and lunar eclipses is that one remembers what faces will be white and others black on the Day of Judgment, and prepares for that day and does not forget to seek the pleasure of God. Those who observe solar and lunar eclipses should repent of their sins and ask for forgiveness from God, turning towards Him.