Sunnah Supplications for Requesting Rainfall (Istisqa) Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
❀ Masnoon Supplications for Rain
➊ اللَّهُمَّ اسْقِنَا اللَّهُمَّ اسْقِنَا اللَّهُمَّ اسْقِنَا
Reference: Bukhari: 1013, Book of Istisqa, Chapter: Istisqa in the congregational mosque
➋ اللهم اغثنا ، اللهم اغثنا ، اللهم اغثنا
Reference: Bukhari: 1014, Book of Istisqa, Chapter: Istisqa during the Friday Khutbah while not facing the Qiblah
➌ اَللّهُمَّ اسْقِنَا غَيْثا مُغِيْنثا مَّرِيئًا مُرِيعًا نَافِعًا غَيْرَ ضَارٌ عَاجِلا غَيْرَ آجِلٍ
Authentic: Sahih Abu Dawood: 1036, Book of Salah: Chapter on Raising Hands in Istisqa, also in Abu Dawood: 1169, Ibn Khuzaymah: 1416, Hakim: 1/327
➍ أَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَلَمِيْنَ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ...
(Complete Arabic supplication retained as per guidelines)
Hasan: Sahih Abu Dawood: 1040, also Abu Dawood: 1173, Ibn Hibban: 604 – Al-Mawarid, Hakim: 1/328, Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar: 1/325, Bayhaqi: 3/349
✿ Turning the Cloaks During the Rain Prayer
It is narrated from Hazrat Abdullah bin Zayd (رضي الله عنه) that:
"…He (ﷺ) turned his cloak inside out, placing the inner part outside, and the people did the same with him."
References: Ahmad: 4/41, Abu Dawood: 1164, Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar: 1/324, Hakim: 1/327, Ibn Khuzaymah: 1415, Ibn Hibban: 2867
This Hadith has been declared Sahih by Imam Hakim, Imam Ibn Khuzaymah, and Imam Ibn Hibban. However, Shaykh Albani (رحمه الله) has commented that the words “وَتَحَوَّلَ النَّاسُ مَعَهُ” ("the people did the same with him") are shaadh (irregular), though the rest of the Hadith is strong.
References: Tamam al-Minnah: p. 264, al-Da‘ifah: 5629
➡ If Shaykh Albani’s statement is taken as correct, then it would not be legislated for the general public to turn their cloaks unless a sound evidence supports it.
According to the majority (Jumhoor), turning the cloak is merely recommended (mustahabb).Reference: Nayl al-Awtar: 2/656
✔ Differences in the Method of Turning the Cloak
The jurists have differed in the precise method of turning the cloak, and details of this can be found in the extensive legal texts:
References: al-Umm: 1/417, al-Hawi: 2/419, Bada’i al-Sana’i: 1/284, al-Mabsut: 2/77, al-Hidayah: 1/89, al-Ikhtiyar: 1/72, al-Hujjah 'ala Ahl al-Madinah: 1/340, al-Mughni: 3/340
However, the preferred method is to place the right edge of the cloak over the left shoulder and the left edge over the right shoulder while turning it.
Authentic: Abu Dawood: 1030, Book of Salah; also Abu Dawood: 1163
