Explanation of Two Scholarly Positions on Salāt al-Istisqāʾ — In Light of Hadith
Source: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah, Vol. 1, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Page 432
❖ Question:
Is Salāt al-Istisqāʾ (Prayer for Rain) to be performed like the Eid prayer — with extra takbīrs? What is the evidence-based ruling?
✿ Primary Hadith Evidence:
Narrated from ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما):
“The Prophet ﷺ performed two rakʿahs for Salāt al-Istisqāʾ in the same manner as the Eid prayer.”
(Bulūgh al-Marām, Bāb al-Istisqāʾ — authenticated by al-Tirmidhī, Abū ʿAwānah, and Ibn Ḥibbān)
✔ 1. Ḥadīth Authentication and Transmission:
This narration appears with the wording:
“ثُمَّ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَمَا يُصَلِّي فِي الْعِيدِ“
(Translation: “Then he performed two rakʿahs as in the Eid prayer.”)
◈ Sources:
- Abū Dāwūd (Ḥadīth 1165)
- al-Tirmidhī (Ḥadīth 558)
- Ibn Mājah (Ḥadīth 1266)
- Musnad Aḥmad (Vol. 1, Pages 230, 269, 355)
◈ Graded as ḥasan by:
- Ibn Ḥibbān (al-Iḥsān, 4/229, Ḥadīth 2851)
- Ibn Khuzaymah (Ḥadīth 1405)
- Abū ʿAwānah (Ṣaḥīḥ Abī ʿAwānah, Vol. 6, Page 33)
◈ Notable narrator: Hishām ibn Isḥāq
- Considered ḥasan al-ḥadīth, trustworthy (thiqah) by al-Tirmidhī, Ibn Ḥibbān, and others
- Declared ṣadūq by al-Dhahabī (al-Kāshif, 3/194)
✔ 2. First Position: The Shāfiʿī School
View:
➤ Salāt al-Istisqāʾ should be offered exactly like the Eid prayer, including 12 extra takbīrs (7 in the first rakʿah, 5 in the second).
Basis:
✔ Direct reliance on the above ḥasan chain hadith stating:
“…as in the Eid prayer.”
Supportive Narrative:
The Shāfiʿīs also quote another narration that explicitly mentions the number of takbīrs, but:
◈ Its narrator Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz is declared munkar al-ḥadīth (rejected in ḥadīth).
(See: Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī, Vol. 1, p. 390)
✔ 3. Second Position: The Majority (Jumhūr) Scholars
View:
➤ Salāt al-Istisqāʾ should resemble Eid prayer only in basic structure — two rakʿahs, loud recitation, and khutbah afterward — but without additional takbīrs.
Interpretation of the Hadith:
Jumhūr scholars interpret the phrase “as in the Eid prayer” to mean:
① Two rakʿahs (same count)
② Loud recitation (jahar)
③ Khutbah after prayer
Their Justification:
- The extra takbīrs are not clearly specified in the authentic hadith.
- The comparison is general, not specific to the number of takbīrs.
Supportive Hadith:
Cited from al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ of al-Ṭabarānī (Vol. 10, p. 42, Ḥadīth 9104), but:
- One narrator ʿAbdullāh ibn Ḥusayn ibn ʿAṭāʾ is weak (ḍaʿīf)
- Another, Masʿadah ibn Saʿd al-ʿAṭṭār, is unknown (majhūl)
➤ Thus, the supporting narration is weak.
✔ 4. Summary of the Two Madhāhib (Schools):
| Position | Madhhab | Ruling | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shāfiʿī | Perform Salāt al-Istisqāʾ with extra takbīrs, like Eid | Based on ḥasan hadith interpreted literally |
| 2 | Jumhūr (Ḥanafī, Mālikī, Ḥanbalī) | Perform Salāt al-Istisqāʾ in structure like Eid, but without extra takbīrs | Based on interpretation and lack of strong proof for extra takbīrs |
✅ Final Ruling:
◈ The Shāfiʿī position is stronger in terms of direct evidence (ḥasan isnād)
◈ The majority view is valid due to its cautious approach and classical support
✔ Both practices are acceptable, and neither contradicts the Sunnah
ھٰذا ما عندي، واللہ أعلم بالصواب
