What is prescribed when there is a need for the prayer for rain?
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Question:
In the past, when people wanted to perform the prayer for rain, they would give charity before the prayer and inspect the measures and scales and other things. But in these years, they are content with just the prayer. So what is your advice to people in general?
Answer:
The prescribed course is always to advise one another, to cooperate in righteousness and piety, to support the poor, to show mercy to the needy, and to check on the conditions of the community in order to remove what is wrong and enjoin what is right. This is because the withholding of rain is due to causes that occur in the community, such as sins against Allah , and likewise the calamities that befall people and the punishments they face are caused by sins, as the Exalted said: [al-Shura: 30], and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: : [al-Rum: 41].
So what is prescribed when there is a need for the prayer for rain is: mutual compassion and sympathy, supporting the poor and the needy, and taking care of everything that is feared to withhold the rain, such as removing what is wrong and eradicating it, cooperating in righteousness and mindfulness of Allah, and always giving mutual advice, especially when there is something that necessitates it, such as drought and aridity, or a plague and punishments. One must return to Allah, repent to Him, hasten to His obedience, advise one another to truth, advise one another to patience, support the poor, and show mercy to the poor and the needy. As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Abi Dawud 5218Sahih (Al-Albani), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1924Hasan (Darussalam).
We ask Allah to guide the Muslims to everything that brings Him pleasure, we ask Allah to help them with every good, and to grant the authorities and all Muslims what helps them in His obedience and protects them from the evil of His punishment.
In the past, when people wanted to perform the prayer for rain, they would give charity before the prayer and inspect the measures and scales and other things. But in these years, they are content with just the prayer. So what is your advice to people in general?
Answer:
The prescribed course is always to advise one another, to cooperate in righteousness and piety, to support the poor, to show mercy to the needy, and to check on the conditions of the community in order to remove what is wrong and enjoin what is right. This is because the withholding of rain is due to causes that occur in the community, such as sins against Allah , and likewise the calamities that befall people and the punishments they face are caused by sins, as the Exalted said:
And whatever strikes you of disaster - it is for what your hands have earned; but He pardons much.
وَمَا أَصَابَكُمْ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَنْ كَثِيرٍCorruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness].
ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُمْ بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَSo what is prescribed when there is a need for the prayer for rain is: mutual compassion and sympathy, supporting the poor and the needy, and taking care of everything that is feared to withhold the rain, such as removing what is wrong and eradicating it, cooperating in righteousness and mindfulness of Allah, and always giving mutual advice, especially when there is something that necessitates it, such as drought and aridity, or a plague and punishments. One must return to Allah, repent to Him, hasten to His obedience, advise one another to truth, advise one another to patience, support the poor, and show mercy to the poor and the needy. As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
He who does not show tenderness will not be shown tenderness.
مَن لا يَرْحَم لا يُرْحَمThe merciful are shown mercy by Ar-Rahman. Be merciful on the earth, and you will be shown mercy from Who is above the heavens.
الراحمون يرحمهم الرحمن، ارحموا مَن في الأرض يرحمكم مَن في السماءWe ask Allah to guide the Muslims to everything that brings Him pleasure, we ask Allah to help them with every good, and to grant the authorities and all Muslims what helps them in His obedience and protects them from the evil of His punishment.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.