Praying for rain (istisqa)

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "The Lord says: If My servants obeyed Me, I would give them rain at night and make the sun rise upon them by day, and I would not make them hear the sound of thunder."
Ahmad and al-Bazzar recorded it, and he added these words: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Renew your faith!' The people said: O Messenger of Allah! How shall we renew our faith? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Renew your faith by saying La ilaha illallah (there is none worthy of worship except Allah)!'" He said: From the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
this narration is reported only with this chain. (Allamah Haythami says:) I say: This narration revolves around Sadaqah bin Musa al-Daqiqi, whom Yahya bin Ma'in and others declared da'if (weak). Muslim bin Ibrahim said: Sadaqah al-Daqiqi narrated to us, and he was saduq (truthful).

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Whenever a strong wind blew, signs of concern could be recognised on the face of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy.

Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah al-Laythi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "People will be stricken by drought, then Allah Almighty will send down upon them provision from His provision, and they will become polytheists." It was said to him: O Messenger of Allah! How will that be? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "They will say: Rain has been sent down upon us because of such-and-such a star."
Ahmad, al-Bazzar, and al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat recorded it, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy.

Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: In the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) there was a drought of rain. We requested the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to pray for rain for us, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed. The next day the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came out, and some people were talking among themselves, saying that last night rain had fallen on us because of such-and-such a star. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whenever Allah Almighty grants a people a blessing, they become disbelievers with regard to it."
Al-Bazzar and al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Isma'il bin Ayyash, about whom there has been criticism.

Talhah bin Abdullah bin Awf narrates: I asked Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) about the Sunnah method of the rain prayer (salat al-istisqa'), and he said: The method of the rain prayer is the same as the method of the Eid prayer. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went out (to pray for rain), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) offered two rak'ahs, recited in both of them, said seven takbirs in the first rak'ah and five takbirs in the second rak'ah.
(Allamah Haythami says:) I say:
This narration is mentioned in the Sunan, but the takbirs are not mentioned in it.
Al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Muhammad bin Abd al-Aziz bin Umar al-Zuhri, and he is matruk (abandoned).

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: In the blessed time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) there was no rain. The Muslims came to him and said: O Messenger of Allah! There is a drought of rain, the trees have dried up, the livestock are perishing and the people are falling ill; pray to your Lord for rain for us. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When such-and-such a day comes, go out, and bring your charity with you. When that particular day came, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the people went out. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went walking and the people also went on foot, with tranquillity and dignity upon all of them, until they came to the prayer ground. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stepped forward and led them in two rak'ahs, in which he recited aloud. In the prayers of the two Eids and the rain prayer, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite Surah al-Fatihah and Surah al-A'la in the first rak'ah, and Surah al-Fatihah and Surah al-Ghashiyah in the second rak'ah. When he completed the prayer, he turned his face towards the people and turned his cloak inside out. Then he knelt down on his knees, raised both hands, and said a takbir before praying for rain. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) made this supplication: "O Allah! Give us rain from a cloud that is rain-bearing, vast, productive, abundant, copious, layered, quenching, widespread, making the land green and fresh, producing pasture, pouring, all-encompassing, hanging low, swift-moving, lasting, overflowing, beneficial and not harmful, quick and not delayed. O Allah! Through it give life to the lands and help to the servants, and make it a provision for those of us who are settled and those who come from outside. O Allah! Send down upon us in our land its adornment, and send down upon us in our land its tranquillity. O Allah! Send down upon us pure water from the sky, give life through it to the barren land, and give drink through it to the animals and the many people whom You have created." The narrator says: They were still in that state when a patch of cloud appeared; then the patches joined one another, and then rain fell on those people continuously for seven days, and it did not stop over Madinah.
(Allamah Haythami says:) I say: After that he mentioned a hadith similar to what is recorded in the Sahih.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains a narrator, Mujashi' bin Amr. Yahya bin Ma'in said: My view of him is that he is one of the liars.

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) and Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrate: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed for rain, he would make this supplication: "O Allah! Give us rain in a manner that is reassuring, through which You quench the wealth (that is, the animals) and the souls (that is, the people); a cloud that satisfies, quenches thirst, is layered, and produces vegetation in the earth, through which the people of our villages and towns are eased. Through it send down the blessings of the sky, and through it bring forth for us the blessings of the earth, and at that time make us among those who give thanks. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains a narrator, Musa bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim al-Harith al-Taymi, and he is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: While praying for rain, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made this supplication: "O Allah! Give us rain from a rain-giving cloud that produces greenery, is layered, comes quickly and not late, is beneficial and not harmful."
The narrator says: Not much time had passed after that before rain began to fall on us, until everything was flowing, until the people came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: We are drowning! The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Allah! Around us (let the rain fall) and not upon us!
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir; its chain contains a narrator, Muhammad bin Abi Layla, about whom there has been much criticism.

Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood in the mosque at forenoon and said three takbirs, then made this supplication: "O Allah! Give us rain (he said this three times, and then said:) O Allah! Grant us ghee, milk, fat and meat!" The narrator says: We could not see any cloud in the sky. Then a wind blew, dust rose, clouds gathered and the rain began, until the people of the market began to cry out and rushed under the roof of the mosque and towards their homes, while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained standing. Meanwhile water began to flow in the streets, and we saw that rain on the ends of the hair of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and on his shoulders, the raindrops like pearls. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went back, and I too went back walking with him, and he was saying: This has come from the presence of your Lord. Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I have never seen a year with more ghee, more milk, more fat and more meat (produced) than that year; these things would lie in the road and there was no one to buy them. After that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned to the men, admonished them and forbade them; then he went to the women, admonished them and was stern with them regarding silk and gold. A man from Banu Amir came forward and said: O Messenger of Allah! It has reached us that you are stern about wearing silk and gold (that it must not be worn). By the One who sent you with the truth, I love beauty, and part of my love of beauty is that the covering of this stick of mine is of leopard skin. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah Almighty is beautiful and He loves beauty. Arrogance is that a person remains ignorant of the truth and looks down on people in his own eyes."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir; its chain mentions that Ubaydullah bin Zahr narrated it from Ali bin Yazid, and both of these narrators are da'if (weak).

Umar bin Kharijah bin Sa'd narrated from his grandfather, Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him): Some people complained to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about the lack of rain. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered them to get down on their knees, so they got down on their knees. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Say: 'O our Lord!'" They did so, and rain began to fall upon them (and it continued for so long) that they wished: "If only this rain would stop." These are the words of the narration as recorded by al-Bazzar. Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat: Amir bin Kharijah bin Sa'd narrated from his father, from his grandfather, Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him): "Some people complained to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about the lack of rain, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Get down on your knees and say: O our Lord! O our Lord!' Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his index finger toward the sky, and rain began to fall upon the people (and it continued for so long) that the people wished: 'Now let this rain stop.'"
The narration recorded by al-Tabarani is the correct one. He gave the name as Amir, and that is how it is: al-Dhahabi mentioned this man in the same way in the biography of Amir bin Kharijah, and declared him da'if (weak).

Sayyidah Ruqayqah bint Abi Sayfi bin Hashim (may Allah be pleased with her), who was the mother of Abd al-Muttalib, said: "Several years (of drought) came upon Quraysh one after another, which dried up the udders (of the animals) and weakened the bones. Once I was asleep in a state of distress (the narrator is unsure about one word here), when a caller cried out in a resounding voice: 'O people of Quraysh! This Prophet has been sent; his days have cast their shade over you and his stars have begun to appear. So come to (rain that brings) abundance and fertility. Look for a man from among you who is sturdy and strong of body, fair and radiant of complexion, of high standing, with long eyelashes, smooth cheeks and a well-shaped nose; who has a quality by which he restrains his anger, and such seniority of age that people turn to him. Let him and his children come out, and let one man come out from every branch (of the tribe). Let them bathe, apply perfume, touch the Corner (of the Ka'bah) and then climb Mount Abu Qubays. Then let that man supplicate (and let the rest) say Amin. Then you will receive as much rain as you wish.'
(Sayyidah Ruqayqah (may Allah be pleased with her) said:) When morning came I was bewildered and troubled. I related my dream, and I went to various places in Makkah, and every person said: 'This must mean Shaybat al-Hamd (that is, Abd al-Muttalib).' The affairs of Quraysh used to be brought to him. So one man from every branch (of the tribe) came to him. They bathed, walked, and touched the Black Stone; then they climbed Mount Abu Qubays, and the others gathered around Abd al-Muttalib, as far as they were able to advance in goodness, until, when they had all reached the summit of the mountain, Abd al-Muttalib stood up. With him was the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who was a youth at that time, or close to that age. He raised both his hands and made this supplication: 'O Allah, Remover of hardship, Dispeller of distress! You are the One who grants knowledge and is not given knowledge; You are asked, and You are not miserly. These are Your male and female servants, and they are within the bounds of Your Sanctuary. They complain to You of drought; the horned and hoofed (animals) have gone (that is, the animals are dying because of the drought). O Allah, send down upon us rain that is abundant, plentiful, and makes (the land) green and fresh.' By the Lord of the Ka'bah! They had not yet returned when rain began to fall from the sky and water began to flow in the valley. I heard the elders and eminent men of Quraysh, Abdullah bin Jud'an, Harb bin Umayyah and Hisham bin al-Mughirah, saying to Abd al-Muttalib: 'Congratulations to you, O Abu al-Batha'!' Sayyidah Ruqayqah bint Abi Sayfi (may Allah be pleased with her) recited these (verses) about this event: 'O Shaybat al-Hamd! Allah Almighty has watered our city. Before, we found life absent, but then abundant rain began; the water came and made pathways through the low ground, and it gave life to the animals and the trees. This is a favour from Allah Almighty, whose coming is blessed, and the best good news given today to (the people of the tribe of) Mudar. He is blessed in his affairs; rain was sought through him. Among creation there is none equal to him, nor (can such a thing be imagined of anyone).'"
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir; its chain contains Zahr bin Hisn, about whom al-Dhahabi said: "He is not known."

Sayyiduna Abu Lubabah bin Abd al-Mundhir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed for rain, and Sayyiduna Abu Lubabah bin Abd al-Mundhir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah! The dates are lying in the drying yards." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated: "O Allah, send down so much rain upon us that Abu Lubabah has to take off his extra clothes and block the water's path to his drying yard with his waist-wrapper." The narrator said: No cloud could be seen in the sky; then rain began to fall (and continued without stopping). The people gathered and went to Sayyiduna Abu Lubabah (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "This rain will not stop until you take off your extra clothes and block the water from reaching your drying yard with your waist-wrapper." He did so, and the rain stopped.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Saghir; its chain contains a narrator who is not known.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Whenever the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw rain, he would supplicate: "O Allah, let it be a heavy rain, and a beneficial one."
Al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains Ali bin Asim bin Suhayb, about whom there is criticism.

Sayyiduna Samurah bin Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Whenever the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed for rain, he would say: "O Allah, send down upon our land its blessing, its adornment and its tranquillity." In one narration the words are: "Grant us provision, for indeed You are the best of providers."
Al-Tabarani recorded both narrations in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and al-Bazzar recorded it in abridged form; its chain is hasan (good) or sahih (authentic).

Sayyidah al-Shifa' Umm Sulayman (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed for rain on Friday in the mosque. He raised both his hands and said: "Seek forgiveness from your Lord; indeed, He is ever Most Forgiving." Then he turned his cloak inside out.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir; its chain contains Khalid bin Ilyas, who is da'if (weak) and worth nothing.

Sayyiduna Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would raise both his hands while delivering a sermon, until the whiteness of his armpits could be seen.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy, except that I did not find (any account of) the narrator Muhammad bin Rashid al-Asbahani, who was al-Tabarani's teacher.

Abdullah bin Yazid al-Khatmi said: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them both) went out to pray for rain for the people. He delivered a sermon, then led the prayer without the call to prayer (adhan) or the iqamah, while among the people that day were Sayyiduna al-Bara' bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Zayd bin Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him).
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When the people received rain in Madinah and the drainpipes began to flow, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "This year no hardship (that is, the distress of drought) will come upon you."
Al-Bazzar and al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat recorded it; its chain contains Ibrahim bin Qudamah. Ibn Hibban mentioned him in the book "al-Thiqat", and al-Bazzar said: "When he is alone in narrating a hadith, he is not used as evidence."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, the heavy rain comes from here." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said this while pointing toward the sky with his blessed hand.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains Ibn Lahi'ah, about whom there is criticism.