God’s messenger led us in the morning prayer at al-Hudaibiya after rain which had fallen during the night, and when he finished he turned to the people and said, “Do you know what your Lord has said?” On their replying that God and His messsenger knew best he told them that He had said, “This morning there were among my servants one who believes in me and one who disbelieves. The one who said, ‘We have been given rain by God’s grace and mercy' is the one who believes in me and disbelieves in the star, but the one who said, ‘We have been given rain by such and such a rainy star’ is the one who disbelieves in me and believes in the star.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)
Medicine and Spells - Mishkat al-Masabih 4596
This narration from Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim addresses the fundamental Islamic principle of tawhid (divine unity) and proper attribution of causes. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) uses the natural phenomenon of rainfall to illustrate the distinction between Islamic monotheism and pre-Islamic pagan beliefs.
Theological Significance
The hadith establishes that all natural phenomena ultimately originate from Allah's divine will and mercy. Attributing rainfall directly to Allah demonstrates correct iman (faith), while attributing it to stars reflects shirk (associating partners with Allah) by giving created beings attributes belonging solely to the Creator.
This teaching came at al-Hudaibiya during a crucial historical moment, emphasizing that even in difficult circumstances, Muslims must maintain pure monotheistic belief.
Scholarly Commentary
Classical scholars explain that the "rainy star" refers to specific stars the pre-Islamic Arabs believed controlled rainfall. The Prophet's teaching redirects causation from celestial bodies to the Divine Creator while acknowledging that stars may serve as signs and markers within Allah's created system.
This narration forms part of Islamic teachings on medicine and spells by establishing the proper framework for understanding causes and effects - recognizing secondary causes while affirming ultimate divine agency.