This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Hafiz Mubashir Hussain Lahori's book Signs of the Day of Judgment in the Light of Authentic Ahadith.
Sign of the Day of Judgment: There will be abundant rain but no production
عن أنس رضى الله عنه قال سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول : لا تقوم الساعة حتى يمطر الناس مطرا عاما ولا تنبت الأرض شيئا
"It is narrated from Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Before the Day of Judgment is established, there will be widespread rain (all over the earth) but (despite the rain) the earth will not produce anything."
Reference: Ahmad (177/3) Majma' al-Zawa'id (638/7) Al-Tarikh al-Kabir (362/7) Hakim (495/4)
عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : ليست السنة بأن لا تمطروا ولكن السنة أن تمطروا وتمطروا ولا تنبت الأرض شيئا
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Famine is not when the rain stops, rather famine is when it rains repeatedly but the earth refuses to grow vegetation.
Reference: Muslim: Book of Tribulations: Chapter on the Settlement and Construction of the City before the Hour (2904)
Benefits:
➊ One of the signs of the Day of Judgment is that despite heavy rainfall, there will be no produce from the earth.
➋ Rain is a blessing from Allah Almighty through which the need for water is perfectly fulfilled and the earth produces vegetation. In fact, the production of vegetation from the earth is a characteristic of rain, but when Allah Almighty wills, He can take away this characteristic of rain. Just as Allah Almighty took away the characteristic of fire to burn when Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was thrown into the fire.
➌ The mentioned sign of the Day of Judgment has not yet appeared.
➍ Just as drought occurs due to the cessation of rain, similarly near the Day of Judgment there will be drought, but rains will not save from the drought because it will be a test from Allah Almighty.
➎ In one narration:
لا تقوم الساعة حتى لا تمطر
"Near the Day of Judgment, there will be no rain nor vegetation. But the addition of لا in it is not authentic."
Reference: Ahmad (12429)
