Chapter Seven: The Rain Prayer

صَلَاةُ الِاسْتِسْقَاء

Salat al-Istisqa' — The Prayer for Rain

Salat al-Istisqa' (the prayer for rain) is a sunnah prayer performed by the Muslim community during periods of drought or severe water shortage. It is performed outside in an open prayer ground (musalla), and involves a two-rak'at prayer, a sermon (khutbah), and collective supplication to Allah for rain.

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: شَكَا النَّاسُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قُحُوطَ الْمَطَرِ، فَأَمَرَ بِمِنْبَرٍ فَوُضِعَ لَهُ فِي الْمُصَلَّى، وَوَعَدَ النَّاسَ يَوْمًا يَخْرُجُونَ فِيهِ، قَالَتْ: فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حِينَ بَدَا حَاجِبُ الشَّمْسِ فَقَعَدَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فَكَبَّرَ وَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ثُمَّ قَالَ: إِنَّكُمْ شَكَوْتُمْ جَدْبَ دِيَارِكُمْ وَقَدِ اسْتِأْخَارَ الْمَطَرُ عَنْ إِبَّانِ زَمَانِهِ، وَقَدْ أَمَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَدْعُوهُ وَوَعَدَكُمْ أَنْ يَسْتَجِيبَ لَكُمْ

On the authority of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): 'The people complained to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, about the lack of rain. So he ordered a pulpit to be placed for him in the prayer ground (musalla), and he set a day for the people to gather. Aisha continued: The Messenger of Allah went out when the edge of the sun appeared [on the horizon], sat upon the pulpit, said Allahu Akbar, and praised Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. Then he said: "You have complained about the drought in your lands and the delay of rain beyond its season. Allah has commanded you to call upon Him and has promised that He will answer you."' (Abu Dawud)

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ، لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُ، اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ الْغَنِيُّ وَنَحْنُ الْفُقَرَاءُ، أَنْزِلْ عَلَيْنَا الْغَيْثَ وَاجْعَلْ مَا أَنْزَلْتَ لَنَا قُوَّةً وَبَلَاغًا إِلَىٰ حِينٍ

"All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgment. There is no god but Allah; He does what He wills. O Allah, You are Allah — there is no god but You, the Self-Sufficient, and we are the needy. Send down upon us rain, and make what You have sent down a strength and sustenance for us for a time." — This supplication is among those recorded in the hadith of Aisha for the rain prayer.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, then turned his cloak inside out (a practice the scholars have discussed, interpreting it as a symbolic hope for a 'turn' of affairs from drought to rain), and the people prayed two rak'ats. Allah answered the supplication and rain came to Madinah.