Chapter: The Supplication When Praying For Rain

Messenger of Allah, the camels died and the passages were blocked; so supplicate Allah to send down rain upon us. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) raised his hands and then said: (O Allah, send down rain upon us; O Allah, send dowp rain upon us; O Allah, send down rain upon us. Anas said: By Allah, we did not see any cloud or any patch of it, and there was neither any house or building standing between us and the (hillock) Sal'a. There appeared a cloud in the shape of a shield from behind it, and as it (came high) in the sky it spread and then there was a downpour of rain. By Allah, we did not see the sun throughout the week. Then (that very man) came on the coming Friday through the same door when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was standing and delivering the sermon. He stood in front of him and said: Messenger of Allah, our animals died and the passages blocked. Supplicate Allah to stop the rain for us. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) again raised his hands and said: O Allah, let it (rain) fall in our suburbs and not on us, O Allah (send it down) on the hillocks and small mountains and the river-beds and at places where trees grow. The rain stopped, and as we stepped out we were walking in sun- shine. He (the narrator) said to Sharik: I asked Anas b. Malik if he was the same man. He said: I do not know.

The people were in the grip of famine during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and (once) as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was delivering the sermon standing on the pulpit on Friday, a bedouin stood up and said: Messenger of Allah, the animals died and the children suffered starvation. The rest of the hadith is the same (and the words are) that he (the Holy Prophet) said: O Allah, send down rain in our suburbs but not on us. He (the narrator) said: To whichever directions he pointed with his hands, the clouds broke up and I saw Medina like the opening of a (courtyard) and the stream of Qanat flowed for one month, and none came from any part (of Arabia) but with the news of heavy rainfall.

Apostle of Allah , there is a drought and the trees have become yellow , the animals have died ; and the rest of the hadith is the same , and in the narration transmitted by 'Abd al-A'la the words are : " The clouds cleard from Medina and it began to rain around it and not a single drop of rain fell in Medina. And as I looked towards Medina , I found it hollow like (the hollowness of) a basin.

" Allah gathered the clouds and as we (were obliged) to stay back I saw that even the strong man, impelled by a desire to go to his family, (could not do so)."

A bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on Friday as he was (delivering the sermon on his) pulpit ; and the rest of the hadith is the same but with this addition : " I saw the cloud clearing just as a sheet is folded."

It rained upon us as we were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him) removed his cloth (from a part of his body) till the rain fell on it. We said: Messenger of Allah, why did you do this? He said: It is because it (the rainfall) has just come from the Exalted Lord.