The Manner of the Prayer for Rain
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
The first message in this episode is from listener Muhammad Idris from Jizan. Our brother has one question, in which he says: Tell us—may Allah reward you with good, in detail—about the prayer for rain, and how is it performed? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
The prayer for rain is a recommended practice (sunnah). The Chosen One (peace and blessings be upon him) performed it when Medina suffered a drought. He went out with the people after the sun had risen, and he prayed two units (rak'ahs) with them, just like the festival prayer. This is the recommended practice: he prays two units, then he preaches to the people, reminds them, and he increases in his sermon the supplication and asking Allah for rain. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had prayed, he preached to the people, reminded them, raised his hands, and supplicated, saying: to the end of his many supplications, (peace and blessings be upon him).
The point is that the prayer for rain is two units, like the festival prayer. The recitation is done aloud, and he says Allahu Akbar seven times in the first unit and five times in the second unit. He recites in them "Subhan" and "Al-Ghashiyah" after al-Fatihah, or "Al-Jumu'ah" and "Al-Munafiqun" after al-Fatihah. If he recites something else after al-Fatihah, there is nothing wrong with it. If he preaches before the prayer, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did this on some occasions. However, performing it like the festival prayer, as is the current practice, is preferable so that the prayer of everyone is on one uniform pattern.
It is a recommended practice (sunnah) for the Muslims to perform it in every place according to its specific condition when there is drought. So, if the land in Jizan, for example, or in the north in al-Jawf, or Hail, suffers a drought, they ask for rain, even if the other regions do not. If, for example, the north is fertile and the south is dry, the people of the south—Jizan, Abha, Ghamid, and so on—ask for rain. And if the south is fertile and the north is dry, like Hail, or al-Jawf, or Tabuk, or similar places, they ask for rain. The preachers who lead the Friday prayer ask for rain in the Friday sermon, or the ruler of the town, its judges, and the Muslims go out to the desert and pray two units.
Therefore, the ruler (wali al-amr) is not a condition for it, and no permission is needed. If the land suffers a drought, he goes out. He notifies the ruler, the head of the court, or the prince, in agreement with the court. They agree on a specific day and inform the people that they will ask for rain on such-and-such a day, so that the people go out to the desert. The preacher of the main mosque, or whoever the legal ruler sees fit, asks for rain for them. They repeat the prayer for rain, meaning two or three times, as long as the drought persists. Even if they pray it several times in one month, or in two months, it is all a recommended practice (sunnah).
It is also a recommended practice (sunnah) to ask for rain on Friday, in the Friday sermon. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did this and that: he asked for rain on Friday, he preached on Friday, raised his hands, and asked for rain. And likewise, he went out to the desert and prayed two units (peace and blessings be upon him). All of this is a recommended practice (sunnah), this and that.
It is prescribed (mashru') for the imams of the main mosques to ask for rain in their sermons in lands where there is drought. There is no need to seek permission from the prince, the ruler, or the one in authority if the drought is present and known. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
The first message in this episode is from listener Muhammad Idris from Jizan. Our brother has one question, in which he says: Tell us—may Allah reward you with good, in detail—about the prayer for rain, and how is it performed? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
The prayer for rain is a recommended practice (sunnah). The Chosen One (peace and blessings be upon him) performed it when Medina suffered a drought. He went out with the people after the sun had risen, and he prayed two units (rak'ahs) with them, just like the festival prayer. This is the recommended practice: he prays two units, then he preaches to the people, reminds them, and he increases in his sermon the supplication and asking Allah for rain. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had prayed, he preached to the people, reminded them, raised his hands, and supplicated, saying:
O Allah, give us rain that is a relief, pleasant and beneficial, abundant and covering, widespread and general, useful and not harmful, immediate and not delayed, by which You revive the lands and by which You water the servants.
اللهم اسقنا غيثًا مغيثًا، هنيئًا مريئًا، غدقًا مجللًا، طبقًا عامًا، نافعًا غير ضار، عاجلًا غير آجل، تحيي به البلاد، وتسقي به العبادThe point is that the prayer for rain is two units, like the festival prayer. The recitation is done aloud, and he says Allahu Akbar seven times in the first unit and five times in the second unit. He recites in them "Subhan" and "Al-Ghashiyah" after al-Fatihah, or "Al-Jumu'ah" and "Al-Munafiqun" after al-Fatihah. If he recites something else after al-Fatihah, there is nothing wrong with it. If he preaches before the prayer, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did this on some occasions. However, performing it like the festival prayer, as is the current practice, is preferable so that the prayer of everyone is on one uniform pattern.
It is a recommended practice (sunnah) for the Muslims to perform it in every place according to its specific condition when there is drought. So, if the land in Jizan, for example, or in the north in al-Jawf, or Hail, suffers a drought, they ask for rain, even if the other regions do not. If, for example, the north is fertile and the south is dry, the people of the south—Jizan, Abha, Ghamid, and so on—ask for rain. And if the south is fertile and the north is dry, like Hail, or al-Jawf, or Tabuk, or similar places, they ask for rain. The preachers who lead the Friday prayer ask for rain in the Friday sermon, or the ruler of the town, its judges, and the Muslims go out to the desert and pray two units.
Therefore, the ruler (wali al-amr) is not a condition for it, and no permission is needed. If the land suffers a drought, he goes out. He notifies the ruler, the head of the court, or the prince, in agreement with the court. They agree on a specific day and inform the people that they will ask for rain on such-and-such a day, so that the people go out to the desert. The preacher of the main mosque, or whoever the legal ruler sees fit, asks for rain for them. They repeat the prayer for rain, meaning two or three times, as long as the drought persists. Even if they pray it several times in one month, or in two months, it is all a recommended practice (sunnah).
It is also a recommended practice (sunnah) to ask for rain on Friday, in the Friday sermon. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did this and that: he asked for rain on Friday, he preached on Friday, raised his hands, and asked for rain. And likewise, he went out to the desert and prayed two units (peace and blessings be upon him). All of this is a recommended practice (sunnah), this and that.
It is prescribed (mashru') for the imams of the main mosques to ask for rain in their sermons in lands where there is drought. There is no need to seek permission from the prince, the ruler, or the one in authority if the drought is present and known. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.