Ruling on the saying: "The sky has been stingy with rain"

Question:
It was mentioned in the lecture by Dr. ... that he says: "The sky has been stingy with rain?"

Answer:
These are expressions that are common on people's tongues. If he had said: "The rain did not fall," or if he had said: "Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) may withhold the rain," that would be different, for the sky does not have any rain. However, it is an expression that some people have become accustomed to. If he had said: "Allah withholds the rain," or "The rain does not fall," because of the sins of the servants, and to discipline them, and to alert them to their heedlessness, that would be the case.
That is to say, the expression that Allah is the one who withholds it is what is appropriate; so that no one thinks that the sky has any power of action. The sky is a creation, just like the earth; it has no power of action in anything. But some people, just as they say: "The earth did not grow" and "The sky has been stingy," attribute the matter to it as a figure of speech, meaning metaphorically, whereas in reality the matter belongs to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).