Can righteous people ask for rain and not be answered?

The questioner : Regarding the prayer for rain, my teacher.

The Shaykh : What is the matter with it?

The questioner : I mean, our knowledge of the prayer for rain that took place in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and also the Companions and the righteous, is that they were answered while they were on the ground of the prayer area; the rain would descend upon them and wet them while they were on the ground of the prayer area.

The Shaykh : With exaggeration.

The questioner : With exaggeration.

The Shaykh : Yes, tie it up and you will be comfortable later.

The questioner : The question here is: for example, in the time of the Companions, who are the best of this Ummah, or after them, the Tabi'un, did the prayer for rain occur in authentic reports where the rain did not fall for one, two, or three days? And is it possible, for example, that Muslims call upon their Lord to send down rain and it is not answered, because this is possible in the Shari'ah?

The Shaykh : And it is a reality.

The questioner : And it is a reality, not because it is a criticism of their religion, or that they are in sin, or as some people translate it.

The Shaykh : Do not translate it that way, and do not be afraid, it was like that.

The questioner : May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : What do you see of the situation now?

The questioner : I mean, it is a criticism of the one who calls upon his Lord in this matter.

The Shaykh : No, it is a criticism of all the Muslims.

The questioner : Of course, no, it is not intended to be only the caller; I mean the group, the general Muslims.

The Shaykh : ... the earth is inhabited.

The questioner : No, no, the intention is not that a specific person, who might be among those whose supplication is answered from the worshippers, is not necessarily the one who is calling upon his Lord, Mighty and Majestic, but rather the action of our master 'Umar by presenting al-'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him).

The Shaykh : Have you finished with the first question?

The questioner : It has a relation to the topic of asking for rain.

The Shaykh : Of course, every research has a relation; any issue has a relation to the second one.

The questioner : Let us stick to the first topic, because it is the original one. Is it possible that the Lord of the Worlds is called upon in this matter, and the people are righteous, but the rain does not descend for them? Can this have happened?

The Shaykh : Why not?

The questioner : Is there anything indicating reports or something?

The Shaykh : Of course.

The questioner : In the time of the Companions, in the time of others.

The Shaykh : You asked a question, and it seems you got distracted from it to the last question, which is: did it happen that people asked for rain and were not answered? Of course, this happens often. But perhaps the more important question is: did the opposite happen? And praise be to Allah, you know the opposite, do you not?

The questioner : What is the opposite? I did not understand.

Another questioner : That they asked and were answered.

The questioner : Of course, this is well known; we say there are many reports in the time of the Companions ... .

The Shaykh : Excuse me, the matter is not up to you, I mean.

The questioner : This is not the topic of the question.

The Shaykh : It is not the topic of the question, yes, you know this.

The questioner : Hisham al-'Aarif from Abu Dhabi sends you his greetings.

The Shaykh : Peace be upon you and upon them. My brother, this cannot be limited to the incidents in which people ask for rain and are not given rain. This is a matter greater than the other matter that you know. But this is not what is important for us to know. What is important is to know the cause. Here, there is a cause that returns to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and His comprehensive, wise will, and another cause that returns to the people.
As for what returns to the Lord of the Worlds, it is what came in an authentic hadith that if a Muslim supplicates with a supplication, he has one of three things, one of which relates to our topic: that his supplication is hastened for him. So, if these people who asked for rain, their supplication was not hastened, correct?

The questioner : Perfect.

The Shaykh : So, either it was stored for them for the Day of Resurrection, the place of the great relief, or the reward and the recompense. This is what returns to Allah, because He knows best what is good for the supplicating servants. And the other matter that returns to the callers to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, or those who call upon Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) pointed to in the authentic hadith إن الله طيب ولا يقبل إلا طيبا وإن الله أمر المؤمنين بما أمر به المرسلين فقال يا أيها الرسل كلوا من الطيبات واعملوا صالحا إني بما تعملون بصير ثم ذكر عليه الصلاة والسلام الرجل - وهنا الشاهد - يطيل السفر أشعث أغبر ومأكله حرام ومشربه حرام وملبسه حرام وغذي بالحرام فأنى يستجاب لذلك Indeed, Allah is Good and accepts nothing but what is good. And Allah commanded the believers with what He commanded the messengers, saying: "O messengers, eat from the good things and do righteous deeds. Indeed, I am Seeing of what you do." Then he (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned the man - and here is the point - who travels a long distance, disheveled and covered in dust, whose food is haram, whose drink is haram, whose clothing is haram, and who is nourished with haram. So how will that be answered?. So, for the acceptance of the supplication, even with the possibility of one of the three possibilities, it is required that the caller be obedient to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and not disobedient to Him. From here, the scholars of the Ummah said that the Ummah that wants to go out to ask for rain should repent to Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, as taking a lawful means to achieve the acceptance of the supplication, even with the possibility of one of those three possibilities. And some of them exaggerated, and we have heard this repeatedly and repeatedly, especially before the last prayer for rain. They ordered fasting for three days, and this has no basis. And they ordered bringing out the offspring and small children, and not only that, but also the livestock, and not only that, but also the Jews and the Christians.The Shaykh : Did he mention this? ... Why? I mean, if the command comes, it is not done like this? He is commanded, I mean, or you don't do it? Bear witness, how, what are we talking about?

The questioner : If their supplication is not answered, does it mean they are a group of non-righteous people? Is it not necessary?

The Shaykh : Not all of them.

The questioner : No, not all of them; I mean that it was not answered for them.

The Shaykh : This is not a condition.

The questioner : They may be righteous and not be answered.

The Shaykh : But their supplication was accepted, the righteous among them, and it was stored for them. Otherwise, this would contradict his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) .

The questioner : I mean, is the prayer for rain under the hadith mentioned previously regarding the topic of the acceptance of supplication?

The Shaykh : Every supplication, not just this one. Please, our brothers.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : That is it.