15. Invoking Allah for Rain (Istisqaa)

Going out of the Prophet (pbuh) to offer Istisqa' prayer

Narrated `Abbad bin Tamim's uncle: The Prophet (p.b.u.h) went out to offer the Istisqa' prayer and turned (and put on) his cloak inside out.

Invocation of the Prophet (pbuh)

Narrated Abu Huraira;: Whenever the Prophet (p.b.u.h) lifted his head from the bowing in the last rak`a he used to say: "O Allah! Save `Aiyash bin Abi Rabi`a. O Allah! Save Salama bin Hisham. O Allah! Save Walid bin Walid. O Allah! Save the weak faithful believers. O Allah! Be hard on the tribes of Mudar and send (famine) years on them like the famine years of (Prophet) Joseph ." The Prophet (ﷺ) further said, "Allah forgive the tribes of Ghifar and save the tribes of Aslam." Abu Az-Zinad (a sub-narrator) said, "The Qunut used to be recited by the Prophet (ﷺ) in the Fajr prayer." Narrated Masruq: We were with `Abdullah and he said, "When the Prophet (ﷺ) saw the refusal of the people to accept Islam he said, "O Allah! Send (famine) years on them for (seven years) like the seven years (of famine during the time) of (Prophet) Joseph." So famine overtook them for one year and destroyed every kind of life to such an extent that the people started eating hides, carcasses and rotten dead animals. Whenever one of them looked towards the sky, he would (imagine himself to) see smoke because of hunger. So Abu Sufyan went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "O Muhammad! You order people to obey Allah and to keep good relations with kith and kin. No doubt the people of your tribe are dying, so please pray to Allah for them." So Allah revealed: "Then watch you For the day that The sky will bring forth a kind Of smoke Plainly visible ... Verily! You will return (to disbelief) On the day when We shall seize You with a mighty grasp. (44.10-16) Ibn Mas`ud added, "Al-Batsha (i.e. grasp) happened in the battle of Badr and no doubt smoke, Al-Batsha, Al-Lizam, and the verse of Surat Ar-Rum have all passed .

Request of the people to the Imam to offer the Istisqa' prayer

Narrated `Abdullah bin Dinar: My father said, "I heard Ibn `Umar reciting the poetic verses of Abu Talib: And a white (person) (i.e. the Prophet) who is requested to pray for rain and who takes care of the orphans and is the guardian of widows." Salim's father (Ibn `Umar) said, "The following poetic verse occurred to my mind while I was looking at the face of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) while he was praying for rain. He did not get down till the rain water flowed profusely from every roof-gutter: And a white (person) who is requested to pray for rain and who takes care of the orphans and is the guardian of widows . . . And these were the words of Abu Talib." Narrated Anas: Whenever drought threatened them, `Umar bin Al-Khattab, used to ask Al-Abbas bin `Abdul Muttalib to invoke Allah for rain. He used to say, "O Allah! We used to ask our Prophet to invoke You for rain, and You would bless us with rain, and now we ask his uncle to invoke You for rain. O Allah ! Bless us with rain."(1) And so it would rain.

Turning cloak inside out while offering the Istisqa' prayer

Narrated `Abdullah bin Zaid: The Prophet (ﷺ) turned his cloak inside out on Istisqa. Narrated `Abdullah bin Zaid: The Prophet (ﷺ) went towards the Musalla and invoked Allah for rain. He faced the Qibla and wore his cloak inside out, and offered two rak`at.

The taking of revenge by Allah over His creatures by drought

Istisqa' in the main mosque (of the town)

Narrated Sharik bin `Abdullah bin Abi Namir: I heard Anas bin Malik saying, "On a Friday a person entered the main Mosque through the gate facing the pulpit while Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was delivering the Khutba. The man stood in front of Allah's Apostle and said, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! The livestock are dying and the roads are cut off; so please pray to Allah for rain.' " Anas added, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) raised both his hands and said, 'O Allah! Bless us with rain! O Allah! Bless us with rain! O Allah! Bless us with rain!' " Anas added, "By Allah, we could not see any trace of cloud in the sky and there was no building or a house between us and (the mountains of) Sila." Anas added, "A heavy cloud like a shield appeared from behind it (i.e. Sila' Mountain). When it came in the middle of the sky, it spread and then rained." Anas further said, "By Allah! We could not see the sun for a week. Next Friday a person entered through the same gate and at that time Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was delivering the Friday's Khutba. The man stood in front of him and said, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! The livestock are dying and the roads are cut off, please pray to Allah to withhold rain.' " Anas added, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) I raised both his hands and said, 'O Allah! Round about us and not on us. O Allah! On the plateaus, on the mountains, on the hills, in the valleys and on the places where trees grow.' So the rain stopped and we came out walking in the sun." Sharik asked Anas whether it was the same person who had asked for the rain (the last Friday). Anas replied that he did not know.

To invoke Allah for rain in the Khutba of Friday facing a direction other than the Qiblah

Narrated Sharik: Anas bin Malik said, "A person entered the Mosque on a Friday through the gate facing the Daril- Qada' and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was standing delivering the Khutba (sermon). The man stood in front of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), livestock are dying and the roads are cut off; please pray to Allah for rain.' So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) raised both his hands and said, 'O Allah! Bless us with rain. O Allah! Bless us with rain. O Allah! Bless us with rain!" Anas added, "By Allah, there were no clouds in the sky and there was no house or building between us and the mountain of Sila'. Then a big cloud like a shield appeared from behind it (i.e. Silas Mountain) and when it came in the middle of the sky, it spread and then rained. By Allah! We could not see the sun for a week. The next Friday, a person entered through the same gate and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was delivering the Friday Khutba and the man stood in front of him and said, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! The livestock are dying and the roads are cut off; Please pray to Allah to withhold rain.' " Anas added, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) raised both his hands and said, 'O Allah! Round about us and not on us. O Allah!' On the plateaus, on the mountains, on the hills, in the valleys and on the places where trees grow.' " Anas added, "The rain stopped and we came out, walking in the sun." Sharik asked Anas whether it was the same person who had asked for rain the previous Friday. Anas replied that he did not know.

Istisqa' (to invoke Allah for the rain) on the pulpit

Narrated Qatada: Anas I said, "While Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) was delivering the Friday Khutba (sermon) a man came and said, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Rain is scarce; please ask Allah to bless us with rain.' So he invoked Allah for it, and it rained so much that we could hardly reach our homes and it continued raining till the next Friday." Anas further said, "Then the same or some other person stood up and said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Invoke Allah to withhold the rain.' On that, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) I said, 'O Allah! Round about us and not on us.' " Anas added, "I saw the clouds dispersing right and left and it continued to rain but not over Medina."

Whoever To invoke Allah for rain in the Jumu'ah prayer

Narrated Anas: A man came to the Prophet (p.b.u.h) and said, "Livestock are destroyed and the roads are cut off." So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) invoked Allah for rain and it rained from that Friday till the next Friday. The same person came again and said, "Houses have collapsed, roads are cut off, and the livestock are destroyed. Please pray to Allah to withhold the rain." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (stood up and) said, "O Allah! (Let it rain) on the plateaus, on the hills, in the valleys and over the places where trees grow." So the clouds cleared away from Medina as clothes are taken off .

Invocation (for stoppage of rain)

Narrated Anas bin Malik: A man came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Livestock are destroyed and the roads are cut off. So please invoke Allah." So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) prayed and it rained from that Friday to the next Friday. Then he came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) I and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Houses have collapsed, roads are cut off and the livestock are destroyed." So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) prayed, "O Allah! (Let it rain) on the tops of mountains, on the plateaus, in the valleys and over the places where trees grow." So the clouds cleared away from Medina as clothes are taken off.

The saying that "The Prophet (pbuh) did not turn his cloak inside out during the invocation for rain on Friday."

Narrated Anas bin Malik: I p man complained to the Prophet (ﷺ) about the destruction of livestock and property and the hunger of the offspring. So he invoked (Allah for rain. The narrator (Anas) did not mention that the Prophet (ﷺ) had worn his cloak inside out or faced the Qibla.

If the people request the Imam to invoke Allah for rain, the Imam should not refuse

Narrated Anas bin Malik: A man came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Livestock are destroyed and the roads are cut off; so please invoke Allah." So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) prayed for rain and it rained from that Friday till the next Friday. Then a man came to the Prophet (p.b.u.h) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! The houses have collapsed, roads are cut off and the livestock are destroyed." So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "O Allah ! (Let it rain) on the tops of the mountains, on the plateaus, in the valleys and over the places where trees grow." So the clouds cleared away from Medina as clothes are taken off.

If Al-Mushrikun intercede the Muslim to invoke Allah for rain during drought

Narrated Masruq: One day I went to Ibn Mas`ud who said, "When Quraish delayed in embracing Islam, the Prophet (ﷺ) I invoked Allah to curse them, so they were afflicted with a (famine) year because of which many of them died and they ate the carcasses and Abu Sufyan came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, 'O Muhammad! You came to order people to keep good relation with kith and kin and your nation is being destroyed, so invoke Allah I ? So the Prophet (ﷺ) I recited the Holy verses of Sirat-Ad-Dukhan: 'Then watch you For the day that The sky will Bring forth a kind Of smoke Plainly visible.' (44.10) When the famine was taken off, the people renegade once again as nonbelievers. The statement of Allah, (in Sura "Ad- Dukhan"-44) refers to that: 'On the day when We shall seize You with a mighty grasp.' (44.16) And that was what happened on the day of the battle of Badr." Asbath added on the authority of Mansur, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) prayed for them and it rained heavily for seven days. So the people complained of the excessive rain. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'O Allah! (Let it rain) around us and not on us.' So the clouds dispersed over his head and it rained over the surroundings."

To say, "Around us and not on us." when it rains excessively

Narrated Anas: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) I was delivering the Khutba (sermon) on a Friday when the people stood up, shouted and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! There is no rain (drought), the trees have dried and the livestock are destroyed; Please pray to Allah for rain." So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said twice, "O Allah! Bless us with rain." By Allah, there was no trace of cloud in the sky and suddenly the sky became overcast with clouds and it started raining. The Prophet (ﷺ) came down the pulpit and offered the prayer. When he came back from the prayer (to his house) it was raining and it rained continuously till the next Friday. When the Prophet started delivering the Friday Khutba (sermon), the people started shouting and said to him, "The houses have collapsed and the roads are cut off; so please pray to Allah to withhold the rain." So the Prophet (ﷺ) smiled and said, "O Allah! Round about us and not on us." So the sky became clear over Medina but it kept on raining over the outskirts (of Medina) and not a single drop of rain fell over Median. I looked towards the sky which was as bright and clear as a crown.

To invoke Allah for rain while standing

Narrated 'Abdullah bin Yazid Al-Ansari that he went out with Al-Bara' bin 'Azib, and Zaid bin Arqam and invoked for rain. He ('Abdullah bin Yazid) stood up but not on a pulpit and invoked Allah for rain and then offered two Rak'a prayers with loud recitation without pronouncing Adhan or Iqama. Abu Ishaq said that 'Adbullah bin Yazid had seen the Prophet (ﷺ) (doing the same) Narrated `Abbad bin Tamim: that his uncle (who was one of the companions of the Prophet) had told him, "The Prophet (ﷺ) went out with the people to invoke Allah for rain for them. He stood up and invoked Allah for rain, then faced the Qibla and turned his cloak (inside out) and it rained."

To recite aloud while offering the prayer of Istisqa'

Narrated `Abbad bin Tamim: from his uncle who said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) went out to invoke Allah for rain. He faced the Qibla invoking Allah. He turned over his cloak (inside out) and then offered two rak`at and recited the Qur'an aloud in them."

How the Prophet (pbuh) turned his back towards the people [while offering the Salat (prayer) for rain]

Narrated `Abbad bin Tamim from his uncle: "I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) on the day when he went out to offer the Istisqa' prayer. He turned his back towards the people and faced the Qibla and asked Allah for rain. Then he turned his cloak inside out and led us in a two rak`at prayer and recited the Qur'an aloud in them."

The Istisqa' prayer consists of two Rak'a

Narrated `Abbad bin Tamim from his uncle who said: "The Prophet (ﷺ) invoked Allah for rain and offered a two rak`at prayer and he put his cloak inside out."

To offer the Istisqa' prayer at the Musalla

Narrated `Abbad bin Tamim from his uncle who said: "The Prophet (ﷺ) went out to the Musalla to offer the Istisqa' prayer, faced the Qibla and offered a two rak`at prayer and turned his cloak inside out." Narrated Abu Bakr, "The Prophet (ﷺ) put the right side of his cloak on his left side."

Facing the Qiblah while offering the Istisqa' prayer

Narrated `Abdullah bin Zaid Al-Ansari: The Prophet (ﷺ) went out towards the Musalla in order to offer the Istisqa' prayer and when he intended to invoke (Allah) or started invoking, he faced the Qibla and turned his cloak inside out.

While offering the Istisqa' prayer, people should raise hands along with the Imam

Narrated Anas bin Malik: A bedouin came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) on a Friday and said, "O Allah's Messenger ! The livestock, the offspring, and the people have perished." So, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) raised both his hands invoking Allah (for rain) and the people too raised their hands with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) invoking Allah (for rain). We had not left the mosque when it started raining. It rained till the next Friday when the same man came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger! The travelers are compelled to postpone their journeys (because of excessive rain) and the roads are overflowed." The narrator Anas added that the Prophet (ﷺ) raised his hands (during the invocation) to such an extent that the whiteness of his armpits was visible.

The raising of both hands by the Imam during Istisqa' while invoking Allah for rain

Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet (ﷺ) never raised his hands for any invocation except for that of Istisqa' and he used to raise them so much that the whiteness of his armpits became visible. (Note: It may be that Anas did not see the Prophet (ﷺ) raising his hands, but it is narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to raise his hands for invocations other than Istisqa. See Hadith No. 807 & 808 and also see Hadith No. 612, Vol. 5).

What should be said (or what to say) if it rains

Narrated Aisha: Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saw the rain, he used to say, "O Allah! Let it be a strong fruitful rain."

One who stood in the rain till the water started trickling down his beard

Narrated Anas bin Malik: In the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) the people were afflicted with a (famine) year. While the Prophet was delivering the Khutba (sermon) on the pulpit on a Friday, a Bedouin stood up and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! The livestock are dying and the families (offspring) are hungry: please pray to Allah to bless us with rain." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) raised both his hands towards the sky and at that time there was not a trace of cloud in they sky. Then the clouds started gathering like mountains. Before he got down from the pulpit I saw rainwater trickling down his beard. It rained that day, the next day, the third day, the fourth day and till the next Friday, when the same Bedouin or some other person stood up (during the Friday Khutba) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! The houses have collapsed and the livestock are drowned. Please invoke Allah for us." So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) raised both his hands and said, "O Allah! Around us and not on us." Whichever side the Prophet (ﷺ) directed his hand, the clouds dispersed from there till a hole (in the clouds) was formed over Medina. The valley of Qanat remained flowing (with water) for one month and none, came from outside who didn't talk about the abundant rain.

If the wind blows (what should one do or say?)

Narrated Anas: Whenever a strong wind blew, anxiety appeared on the face of the Prophet (fearing that wind might be a sign of Allah's wrath).

"I was granted victory with As-Saba"

Narrated Ibn `Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I was granted victory with As-Saba and the nation of 'Ad was destroyed by Ad- Dabur (westerly wind) .

Earthquakes and (other) signs (of the Day of Judgement)

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The Hour (Last Day) will not be established until (religious) knowledge will be taken away (by the death of religious learned men), earthquakes will be very frequent, time will pass quickly, afflictions will appear, murders will increase and money will overflow amongst you." (See Hadith No. 85 Vol 1). Narrated Ibn `Umar: (The Prophet) said, "O Allah! Bless our Sham and our Yemen." People said, "Our Najd as well." The Prophet again said, "O Allah! Bless our Sham and Yemen." They said again, "Our Najd as well." On that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "There will appear earthquakes and afflictions, and from there will come out the side of the head of Satan."

"And instead for the provision He gives you, you deny"

Narrated Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) led the morning prayer in Al-Hudaibiya and it had rained the previous night. When the Prophet (p.b.u.h) had finished the prayer he faced the people and said, "Do you know what your Lord has said?" They replied, "Allah and His Apostle know better." (The Prophet (ﷺ) said), "Allah says, 'In this morning some of My worshipers remained as true believers and some became non-believers; he who said that it had rained with the blessing and mercy of Allah is the one who believes in Me and does not believe in star, but he who said it had rained because of such and such (star) is a disbeliever in Me and is a believer in star.' "

Except Allah nobody nobody knows when it will rain

Narrated Ibn `Umar: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) said, "Keys of the unseen knowledge are five which nobody knows but Allah . . . nobody knows what will happen tomorrow; nobody knows what is in the womb; nobody knows what he will gain tomorrow; nobody knows at what place he will die; and nobody knows when it will rain."