A Palestinian Woman’s Quest to Share the Eclipse With Her Community

04.04.2024 - 00:09 / atlasobscura.com / Atlas Obscura

One night, when Nadia Abuisnaineh was in 11th grade, Mormon missionaries came knocking. After Abuisnaineh’s sister politely declined their proselytizing, the pair turned to leave—but not before asking, “Do you know that there are auroras outside?” Immediately running out the door of their Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, home, Abuisnaineh witnessed the northern lights for the first time.

From gazing at the night sky while sleeping on her family’s rooftop in Palestine, to buying her first telescope on eBay in seventh grade (for the sky-high bid of $100), to earning her degree in astrophysics and becoming a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, Abuisnaineh has spent much of her life looking up. During the partial solar eclipse in October 2023, Abuisnaineh brought together her community with what may very well be a first-of-its-kind event in the country: a viewing party that also included the Islamic solar eclipse prayer: salat al-kusuf.

Atlas Obscura spoke with Abuisnaineh about the power of stargazing as a community, the shock of an old man witnessing an eclipse for the first time, and how her religion inspires her to never stop reveling in the majesty of the universe.

No, actually, and that’s the unfortunate thing. For such an amazing thing, we’re not taught about it. In school, you learn about what an eclipse is—and then they tell you, don’t look at the sun, right? They really drill that into your brain.

As I got older, I learned the significance of an eclipse, especially in my religion as a Muslim—how great they are and how they are a miracle and sign of God’s existence.

During the later years of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, he was blessed with a son, Ibrahim. When Ibrahim was just a year or two old, he got sick. Muhammad held his son while he took his last breaths.

At that moment, there was a total solar eclipse. So rumors spread within the Muslim community that even the sun and the moon grieved the passing of the Prophet’s son. The Prophet took his son to be buried. When he came back to his people, the eclipse was still happening. So he leads them in prayer that’s now known as the salat al-kusuf.

He told them that the sun and the moon are two signs of God, and they do not eclipse because of the birth or the death of anybody. So when you see the eclipse: pray, give charity, think about God, praise God, glorify God.

I love that the eclipse really stops us in our paths.

When I held the event, a lot of people were just flabbergasted. A few people were overwhelmed with tears. There was an old guy—he was probably 70 years old—who said, “I can’t believe I’ve lived my entire life, and never seen something like this.” I felt so privileged that I was able to give him that.

Other mosques hold the prayer,