The Correct Method of the Prayer for Rain
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The first question of Fatwa No. ( 18386 )
Q 1: The rain has withheld from us until the land has become parched and we were forced to buy water. Then, the prayer for rain was ordered, so the people went out seeking rain, saying in a loud voice: (O God of the worlds, do not let us return disappointed. We ask You by the Chosen One and the Legate and al-Husayn ). What is the ruling? And if you permit, please provide us with the correct method of seeking rain, and may Allah reward you with good.
A 1: It is prescribed for Muslims, when the rain is delayed and the land becomes barren, to order the prayer, fasting, charity, and the removal of injustices, and to leave off enmity; for obedience is a cause of blessings and sins are a cause of drought. The imam should announce to the people a day on which they will go out for the prayer for rain. They should go out in humility, in tattered clothes, in humility, in abasement, and in supplication. He should pray with them two rak'ahs, saying takbir seven times in the first rak'ah and five times in the second rak'ah, like the prayer of the festival. He should recite in them Subhan and al-Ghashiyah after al-Fatihah, and he should recite aloud. When he has said the taslim from the two rak'ahs, he should preach to the people a khutbah that includes verses of seeking forgiveness and urging it, and he should call them to charity and order them to have taqwa by obeying the commands of Allah and refraining from His sins. He should mention that seeking rain is a revival of the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), whenever the need for it arises, and he should ask Allah to send them a blessed rain, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did.
And refer to the hadiths reported on this in the chapter (The Prayer for Rain). As for what was mentioned in the question regarding seeking nearness to Allah through the persons of created beings, it is forbidden; for it is a religious innovation, so it is not permissible to seek nearness to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) except by faith in Him, by His names and attributes, and by supplication through righteous deeds. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-A'raf 7:180] , and Allah the Exalted said: [Ali 'Imran 3:193] , and as in the hadith: Bulugh al-Maram 16:125 , and in the hadith: As-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Nasa'i 56:42 . The hadith. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): that three men from those who were before us took shelter in a cave from the night and the rain, so a rock slid down and blocked the mouth of the cave,
and they were unable to get out, so they sought nearness to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) by their righteous deeds. One of them sought nearness by his dutifulness to his parents, the second sought nearness by his chastity from zina after having the ability to commit it, and the third sought nearness by fulfilling a trust to its rightful owner. So Allah answered their supplication and removed the rock from them. And if one seeks rain in the Friday khutbah, it is good; for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did that. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
Q 1: The rain has withheld from us until the land has become parched and we were forced to buy water. Then, the prayer for rain was ordered, so the people went out seeking rain, saying in a loud voice: (O God of the worlds, do not let us return disappointed. We ask You by the Chosen One and the Legate and al-Husayn ). What is the ruling? And if you permit, please provide us with the correct method of seeking rain, and may Allah reward you with good.
A 1: It is prescribed for Muslims, when the rain is delayed and the land becomes barren, to order the prayer, fasting, charity, and the removal of injustices, and to leave off enmity; for obedience is a cause of blessings and sins are a cause of drought. The imam should announce to the people a day on which they will go out for the prayer for rain. They should go out in humility, in tattered clothes, in humility, in abasement, and in supplication. He should pray with them two rak'ahs, saying takbir seven times in the first rak'ah and five times in the second rak'ah, like the prayer of the festival. He should recite in them Subhan and al-Ghashiyah after al-Fatihah, and he should recite aloud. When he has said the taslim from the two rak'ahs, he should preach to the people a khutbah that includes verses of seeking forgiveness and urging it, and he should call them to charity and order them to have taqwa by obeying the commands of Allah and refraining from His sins. He should mention that seeking rain is a revival of the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), whenever the need for it arises, and he should ask Allah to send them a blessed rain, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did.
And refer to the hadiths reported on this in the chapter (The Prayer for Rain). As for what was mentioned in the question regarding seeking nearness to Allah through the persons of created beings, it is forbidden; for it is a religious innovation, so it is not permissible to seek nearness to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) except by faith in Him, by His names and attributes, and by supplication through righteous deeds. Allah the Exalted said:
And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them
وَلِلَّهِ الأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى فَادْعُوهُ بِهَاOur Lord, indeed we have heard a caller calling to faith, [saying], 'Believe in your Lord,' and we have believed. Our Lord, so forgive us our sins and remove from us our misdeeds and cause us to die with the righteous.
رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا سَمِعْنَا مُنَادِيًا يُنَادِي لِلإِيمَانِ أَنْ آمِنُوا بِرَبِّكُمْ فَآمَنَّا رَبَّنَا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَكَفِّرْ عَنَّا سَيِّئَاتِنَا وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ الأَبْرَارِO Allah! I ask you by virtue that I testify that you are Allah; there is no God but You, the one —· the Self Sufficient Master, Who did not beget, and was not begotten, and to whom no one is equal.
اللهم إني أسألك بأني أشهد أنك أنت الله لا إله إلا أنت الأحد الصمد الذي لم يلد ولم يولد ولم يكن له كفوًا أحدO Allah, I ask You by the fact that to You belongs all praise, there is no deity except You, the Bestower of Grace, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Possessor of Majesty and Honor
اللهم إني أسألك بأن لك الحمد لا إله إلا أنت المنان بديع السماوات والأرض ذا الجلال والإكرامand they were unable to get out, so they sought nearness to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) by their righteous deeds. One of them sought nearness by his dutifulness to his parents, the second sought nearness by his chastity from zina after having the ability to commit it, and the third sought nearness by fulfilling a trust to its rightful owner. So Allah answered their supplication and removed the rock from them. And if one seeks rain in the Friday khutbah, it is good; for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did that. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.