Syzygy: A Divine Sign for a Privileged Planet

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Professor Amtul Razzaq Carmichael, UK

Eclipses have long captured human imagination, often interpreted as powerful supernatural harbingers of cosmic disharmony or impending disaster. As much as we’ve advanced as a species, we share our insatiable curiosity for the mysteries of the cosmos with our ancient ancestors. The Ancient Chinese believed that during an eclipse, a dragon devoured the Sun or the Moon, prompting the tradition to bang drums and shout in an attempt to ward off the creature.^[1] The Vikings attributed solar and lunar eclipses to sky wolves preying on these celestial bodies.^[2] Modern astronomy has demystified eclipses, transforming our understanding from one steeped in mythological superstition into clear scientific knowledge. An eclipse occurs when celestial bodies—the Sun, Moon, and Earth—align perfectly so that the shadow of one obscures the light from another. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, casting a shadow on the Earth to create a spectacular visual phenomenon. A lunar eclipse, on the other hand, takes place when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, causing Earth’s shadow to darken the Moon.

Eclipses and Divine Prophecies

The term ‘syzygy’ derived from the Greek word syzygos, meaning “yoked together,” is used to describe such celestial alignments. ^[3]    The earth is the only privileged planet that can witness the wonder of the total solar eclipse this solar system! The size of the moon, the orbit of the earth and the position of the Sun all give the earth a hugely advantaged place to observe the sign of complete syzygy. Other planets in our solar system either do not have moons (Venus and Mercury), or have moons that are too small or not at the right distance to block the sunlight completely (Mars), or are made of gaseous vapor only and do not contain rocks to stand on a solid surface and observe the eclipse (Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune). The term syzygy is particularly relevant in discussions concerning the prophetic signs associated with the advent of the Messiah in Islamic tradition.

The Prophecy

The advent of a Messiah to reform the world in latter days is promised in all major religions including Islam. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa), foretold a perfect celestial alignment as a divine sign marking the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (as). In a Hadith it is stated: “For our Mahdi there are two Signs which have never appeared before since the creation of the heavens and the earth, namely, the moon will be eclipsed on the first night in Ramadan (i.e. on the first of the nights on which a lunar eclipse can occur) and the sun will be eclipsed on the middle day (i.e.; on the middle one of the days on which a solar eclipse can occur), and these signs have not appeared since God created the heavens and the earth.”^[4]

Components of the Prophecy

For this prophecy to be considered fully realised, each component must take place precisely as foretold:

1. The lunar eclipse must happen on the correct night in Ramadan , the first night on which a lunar eclipse can take place.
2. The sun must eclipsed in Ramadan on the middle one of the days on which it can be subjected to an eclipse
3. Both eclipses must happen during the month of Ramadan, a sacred period in the Islamic calendar.
4. The claim of the Promised Messiah must precede these celestial events. If made afterwards, the prophecy would fail.

Fulfilment of the Prophecy

The prophecy regarding the eclipses was seen as a heavenly sign affirming the truth of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian. He claimed to be the Promised Messiah in 1891. His declaration was met with widespread denunciation, and many scholars of the day labelled him as an impostor. In response, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) prayed for a decisive sign to prove the authenticity of his claim. In 1894, two extraordinary celestial events occurred, followed by a repetition of these signs in the Western Hemisphere in 1895. In 1894, on the 13th of Ramadan (March 21, 1894), a lunar eclipse occurred after sunset, fulfilling the first part of the prophecy. Exactly as foretold in the prophecy, on the 28th of Ramadan (April 6, 1894), a solar eclipse occurred, precisely on the middle one of the days on which the Sun is subject to an eclipse. This sign was further consolidated in the Western Hemisphere when in 1895 a lunar eclipse took place on March 11, 1895, followed by a  solar eclipse on March 26, during Ramadan. This prophecy indisputably satisfied the criteria to judge the fulfilment of a prophecy, described by Douglas E. Krueger; a strong proponent of Atheism who argues against the existence of God in his book, ‘What is Atheism?: a short introduction’ ^[5]. Krueger argues that a genuine prophecy has to satisfy five criteria to distinguish it from a lucky guess. To be genuine, the prophecy should be clear and detailed; unique or unusual; predated the event it predicted; should not a result of an  educated guess and could not be staged or manipulated to appear fulfilled. The prophecy of eclipse meets all this criteria. All the conditions specified in the Hadith were met exactly as foretold: the lunar eclipse occurred on the first possible night, and the solar eclipse on the prophesied day, both during the sacred month of Ramadan. Furthermore, the claims of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) had already been made prior to these events, aligning perfectly with the prophecy.

Outcome of the Prophecy

Whereas this fulfilled prophecy was a source of guidance for many pious souls, nay-sayers refused to accept this. Soon after the eclipses were manifested to the world, the Promised Messiah (as) wrote a book emphasising the majesty of this sign. The Promised Messiah (as) says, “Can you present a sign like this in any age in the past? Do you read in any book that some person had claimed to be from the Almighty God and then in his time in Ramadan lunar and solar eclipses occurred as you have now seen? If you are aware then relate it and you will get one thousand rupees as reward if you can show. So prove it and take this reward and I make the Almighty God a Witness on this promise, and you also be witness and God is the best of all witnesses.” ^[6]

A Profound Reflection

Even in 2025, the awe and mystery of eclipses capture our modern curiosity. It’s estimated that over 50 million people witnessed the total solar eclipse this April, when over 4 minutes of “total darkness” blanketed the daylight in Mexico, USA and Canada. Many were recorded expressing their amazement with the most natural words: ‘Oh my God!’^[8] This interplay between rational understanding and emotional reaction speaks to the dual nature of humanity—our capacity for both reason and wonder. With our rational faculties, we endeavour  to understand phenomena like eclipses in exquisite detail—mapping their paths, predicting their timing, and explaining their causes through physics and astronomy. On the other hand, our sense of wonder transcends this understanding, allowing us to be moved deeply by the sheer magnificence of what we observe. Eclipses are one of the examples where human understanding and emotions converge. The eclipse, once feared, is now embraced as a symbol of our connection with the cosmos, acting as a powerful reminder of the grandeur and precision of universe. The majestic sign of the solar and lunar eclipse inspires us to reflect on our place within this vast cosmos and our distinctive role in investing in our own spiritual growth. May Allah the Exalted enable us to do so. Ameen. 

About the Author: Professor Amtul Razzaq Carmichael MD, M Ed, FRCS (Gen Surg.), MBBS, is a consultant. She qualified in 1987 with gold medals for academic Excellence and undertook her surgical training at major teaching hospitals in London, Edinburgh and Philadelphia. She has authored many articles for major peer-reviewed scientific journals. She is a senior member of The Review of Religions Editorial Board as well as the Assistant Manager.

ENDNOTES

^[1]https://www2.nao.ac.jp/~mitsurusoma/WS2014/vahia.pdf#:~:text=In%20ancient%20China%2C%20the%20solar%20and%20lunar%20eclipses,same%20dragon%20attacks%20the%20Moon%20during%20lunar%20eclipses.

^[2] https://whenisthenexteclipse.com/how-past-civilizations-and-tribes-viewed-eclipses/

^[3] https://sciencenotes.org/syzygy-in-astronomy-definition-pronunciation-examples/

^[4] Sunan al-Daraqutni, Kitab-ul-Eidayn, salat-ul-kasoof-ul khasoof wa haitahuma

^[5] Douglas E. Krueger, Pages 96-98 of his book, “What Is Atheism?: A Short Introduction”

^[6] Noor-ul-Haq, Part 11, page 21

^[7] alislam.org/library/links/00000108.html

^[8] https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/08/world/2024-total-solar-eclipse-path-scn/index.html