Invoking Allah for Rain (Istisqaa)

كتاب الاستسقاء

Chapter 11: 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.

Chapter 15: To invoke Allah for rain while standing

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."

Chapter 26: "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) .

Chapter 27: Earthquakes and (other) signs (of the Day of Judgement)

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."

Chapter 29: Except Allah nobody nobody knows when it will rain

Abu Hurayrah said of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah Allaah be upon him): "Five are known only to Allah."
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."

Chapter 8: 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."

Chapter 10: 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.

Chapter 13: 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."

Chapter 14: 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.

Chapter 16: 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."

Chapter 20: 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.

Chapter 21: While offering the Istisqa' prayer, people should raise hands along with the Imam

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.

Chapter 12: 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.

Chapter 18: 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."

Chapter 19: 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."

Chapter 21: 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."