Hazrat Ali bin Umar al-Darqutni (918-995) has recorded a tradition (Hadith) of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessing of Allah be on him, in his book Sunan Dar Qutni, as reported by Hazrat Imam Baqar, regarding the appearance of Imam Mahdi. It states that one of the signs for the appearance of the Mahdi will be that the Moon will be eclipsed on the first night of the three possible nights of an eclipse. And the Sun will be eclipsed on the middle day of the three possible days of an eclipse. Both will occur in the month of Ramadhan.

This heavenly sign occurred during the month of Ramadhan in April 1894 when Huzoor had already declared that he was the Mahdi Mauood (Promised Mahdi). There was an eclipse of the Moon on the first night of the three possible night’s i.e. the 13^th Ramadhan, 1311 Hijra (March 21^st, 1894) and there was an eclipse of the Sun on the middle day of the three possible days i.e. 28^th Ramadhan 1311 Hijra (April 6^th, 1894).

Next year in the western hemisphere, the Moon was eclipsed on March 11, 1895 and the Sun was eclipsed on March 26^th, 1895.

This great sign is referred to as Sign of the Eclipses. This sign has been pointed out in Chapter al-Qiyama (75:9) of the Holy Quran also. In the Bible (Mark 13:24) it is also stated “ But in those days, after that tribulation, the Sun shall be darkened, and the Moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall be falling from the heaven and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken”.

This was another glorious sign manifested by Allah the Exalted to prove the truthfulness of His servant the Promised Messiah^(as).