Eclipse And Pregnant Women Myth Or Reality

Eclipse and pregnant women:-

In many religions and culture, pregnant women are forbidden from going out when there is either solar or lunar eclipse. Some do not even allow eating or drinking during the period of the eclipse. Many still follow this tradition and they give the reason of taking precautions.

According to the Islamic evidence:-

look at the reply of islamic scholar who is asked about the eclipse and the pregnant....

 

Question#: 33625

Question Date:  12/26/2009

Topic :  Eclipse: Pregnant

Question:  Asslamulaikum.. I want to know is there any islamic reason to believe that solar or lunar eclipse effects pregnancy.? people say lot of stories that it effects the child inside the pregnant women.that sun or moon eclipse will leave a mark on childs body etc etc if care is not taken. plz reply quick

Answer:  Bismillahir-RaHmanir-RaHeem. Vol 2, Book 18. Eclipses. Hadith 154. Narrated By 'Aisha : In the life-time of Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) the sun ECLIPSEd, so he led the people in prayer, and stood up and performed a long Qiyam, then bowed for a long while. He stood up again and performed a long Qiyam but this time the period of standing was shorter than the first. He bowed again for a long time but shorter than the first one, then he prostrated and prolonged the prostration. He did the same in the second Raka as he did in the first and then finished the prayer; by then the sun (ECLIPSE) had cleared. He delivered the Khutba (sermon) and after praising and glorifying Allah he said, "The sun and the moon are two signs against the signs of Allah; they do not ECLIPSE on the death or life of anyone. So when you see the ECLIPSE, remember Allah and say Takbir, pray and give Sadaqa." The Prophet then said, "O followers of Muhammad! By Allah! There is none who has more ghaira (self-respect) than Allah as He has forbidden that His slaves, male or female commit adultery (illegal sexual intercourse). O followers of Muhammad! By Allah! If you knew that which I know you would laugh little and weep much. Vol 2, Book 18. Eclipses. Hadith 155. Narrated By 'Abdullah bin 'Amr : "When the sun eclipsed in the life-time of Allah's Apostle an announcement was made that a prayer was to be offered in congregation." Vol 2, Book 18. Eclipses. Hadith 156. Narrated By 'Aisha: (The wife of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) In the lifetime of the Prophet the sun eclipsed and he went to the Mosque and the people aligned behind him. He said the Takbir (starting the prayer) and prolonged the recitation (from the Qur'an) and then said Takbir and performed a prolonged bowing; then he (lifted his head and) said, "Sami allahu liman hamidah" (Allah heard him who sent his praises to Him). He then did not prostrate but stood up and recited a prolonged recitation which was shorter than the first recitation. He again said Takbir and then bowed a prolonged bowing but shorter than the first one and then said, "Sami 'a-l-lahu Lyman hamidah Rabbana walak-lhamd, (Allah heard him who sent his praises to Him. O our Sustainer! All the praises are for You)" and then prostrated and did the same in the second Raka; thus he completed four bowing and four prostrations. The sun (ECLIPSE) had cleared before he finished the prayer. (After the prayer) he stood up, glorified and praised Allah as He deserved and then said, "The sun and the moon are two of the signs of Allah. They do not ECLIPSE because of the death or the life (i.e. birth) of someone. When you see them make haste for the prayer." Narrated Az-Zuhri: I said to 'Ursa, "When the sun eclipsed at Medina your brother ('Abdullah bin Az-Zubair) offered only a two-Rakat prayer like that of the morning (Fajr) prayer." 'Ursa replied, "Yes, for he missed the Prophet's tradition (concerning this matter)." Vol 2, Book 18. Eclipses. Hadith 165. Narrated By Abu Masud: Allah's Apostle said, "The sun and the moon do not ECLIPSE because of someone's death or life but they are two signs amongst the signs of Allah, so pray whenever you see them." This is what we found in the shariah. Based on this one should take precaution and ask the expert gynaecologist.  Some facts related to the eclipse & pregnant:- Superstitious women across Karachi are preparing to bundle their pregnant daughters-in-law inside the house on the night between Saturday and Sunday (March 3-4) when a lunar eclipse is expected to take place. “I did not take any precautions when I was pregnant during a lunar eclipse,” lamented Sabeeh. “I cut an apple even though I had been warned not to touch any sharp objects; My son was born with a missing finger.” Another woman, Anaya, attended a wedding during a lunar eclipse, even though she was pregnant. Her son was born healthy but he had permanent, large, brown, marks across his abdomen. Both Sabeeh and Anaya, along with many others, staunchly believe in the detrimental powers of eclipses. “Pregnant women have to be very cautious during an eclipse, lunar or solar,” informs 55 year old Fatima Rizvi. “They should lie down straight and not venture outdoors for the entire duration of the eclipse.” One of the most frightening superstitions is that if a pregnant woman uses a knife to cut something during a lunar eclipse, her baby will be born with a harelip. Others believe that if a pregnant woman goes outside, under the open sky, during the eclipse, her child will be born with some kind of deformity. “I didn’t believe in these things,” gynaecologist Dr Tasneem Kausar told Daily Times Friday. “But when I was eight months pregnant, I went to my roof where construction was taking place during a lunar eclipse and made a mark on the wall. When my son was born a month later, he had exactly the same mark on his belly.” In fact, Kausar claimed that her son was born with deformed hands that were twisted in the same position her hands were in when she made the mark.  Senior gynaecologist Dr Kishwar Fatima pooh-poohed these claims. “If a baby is born with a harelip it is only because the mother was deficient in folic acid,” she said. “Also, abnormalities are genetic problems and have nothing to do with a lunar eclipse.”  Fatima did, however, admit that she believed people suffered from mood swings during a full moon. “Moonlight affects the sea’s tide and our bodies are made up of 70 percent water, so in my personal opinion this does make a difference,” she added. Nonetheless, whether she believes a lunar eclipse affects pregnant women or not, the superstition is so widespread that during those times patients avoid coming to her hospital. But for those women who would rather not take the risk, astrologer Mohammad Muazzam Khan, who studied palmistry in Nepal, recommends that they wear moonstone or make a ‘doodh ka sadqa’ (sacrifice of milk). “The perceptions about lunar eclipses, pregnant women and childbirth are not mere superstition but genuine fact as the event does actually affect health, especially in children,” he told Daily Times. While a lunar eclipse doesn’t affect general horoscopes, it can affect the health of the mother and child.  Gynaecologist Dr Sher Shah of Qatar Hospital said that all the old wives tales about lunar eclipses were “nonsense” that had been passed down generation to generation. In his experience, he said the problem was that pregnant women who require medical attention during an eclipse are too afraid to go to their doctor. This caused more damage than the lunar eclipse.  His claim is backed by Astrophysics researcher Syed Kaiser Hussain, who claims to have created the world’s smallest eternal solar calendar and the first absolute dated lunar/Hijree calendar of the world. “A lunar eclipse is just a part of our universe’s system just as there is night and day and medically and scientifically there is no proof that it will have any effect on a pregnant woman,” he said.  It is a solar eclipse, that is far more dangerous than a lunar eclipse, opined Gazdarabad Maternity Home and General hospital’s Dr Shabeen Naz Masood. “During a solar eclipse it is possible for a child to be affected,” she said. “I’ve experienced it; Their hands and feet can be deformed. A gynecologist at Aga Khan University Hospital, Dr Sameera, stressed that this was all superstition. Her opinion was seconded by pediatrician Dr Syed Mohsin Ahmed. “They have no foundation whatsoever in science,” he said. However, many believe it is better to be safe than sorry and most pregnant women choose to endure a few hours of discomfort and boredom rather than listen to their doctors and regret it later. “I lay straight for two hours,” recalled Sara, who was seven months pregnant at the time of a lunar eclipse. “My mother-in-law refused to let me lie on my side. She was so paranoid that she even disallowed me from using my cellular phone, saying that the electromagnetic rays pass from under the moon before they reach my phone!” some evidences from different parts of the world In India it is believed that eclipse rays can harm the fetus and as such pregnant women should not go out during solar or lunar eclipse. Lots of other rituals are followed to protect the unborn baby and pregnant woman during solar or lunar eclipse. An analysis of the logic of one of the commonest health beliefs in rural areas of Mexico is made, taking as a starting point testimonies collected in the area of Ocuituco, in the state of Morelos. This belief suggests that a pregnant woman is in danger of having a harelipped baby during a solar eclipse. The interrelation of these beliefs with other traditional elements (such as the "loss of the shadow" and the "hot-cold theory") is discussed. Also, some of the already existing interpretations of this belief which seek to link the "loss of the shadow" with the solar eclipse belief are reviewed. Finally, an alternative interpretation of this belief is made from a structuralist methodological perspective. This interpretation is grounded in the Nahuatl myth on the creation of the sun and the moon, and in an analysis of the nature of rabbits in the Nahuatl culture, according to historic secondary sources. It is suggested that the belief about the danger of a solar eclipse must be interpreted in connection to the "hot-cold theory", but not to the "loss of the shadow".