Rain Prayer (Istisqa)

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Keys of the unseen knowledge are five which nobody knows but Allah . . . nobody knows what will happen tomorrow; nobody knows what is in the womb; nobody knows what he will gain tomorrow; nobody knows at what place he will die; and nobody knows when it will rain."

We were with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) when the sun eclipsed. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stood up dragging his cloak till he entered the Mosque. He led us in a two-rak`at prayer till the sun (eclipse) had cleared. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of someone's death. So whenever you see these eclipses pray and invoke (Allah) till the eclipse is over."

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of the death of someone from the people but they are two signs amongst the signs of Allah. When you see them stand up and pray."

When the sun eclipsed in the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and an announcement was made that the prayer was to be held in congregation. The Prophet (ﷺ) performed two bowing in one rak`a. Then he stood up and performed two bowing in one rak`a. Then he sat down and finished the prayer; and by then the (eclipse) had cleared `Aisha said, "I had never performed such a long prostration."

The sun eclipsed in the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ) . Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) offered the eclipse prayer and stood for a long period equal to the period in which one could recite Surat-al-Baqara. Then he bowed for a long time and then stood up for a long period which was shorter than that of the first standing, then bowed again for a long time but for a shorter period than the first; then he prostrated twice and then stood up for a long period which was shorter than that of the first standing; then he bowed for a long time which was shorter than the previous one, and then he raised his head and stood up for a long period which was shorter than the first standing, then he bowed for a long time which was shorter than the first bowing, and then prostrated (twice) and finished the prayer. By then, the sun (eclipse) had cleared. The Prophet (ﷺ) then said, "The sun and the moon are two of the signs of Allah. They eclipse neither because of the death of somebody nor because of his life (i.e. birth). So when you see them, remember Allah." The people say, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! We saw you taking something from your place and then we saw you retreating." The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "I saw Paradise and stretched my hands towards a bunch (of its fruits) and had I taken it, you would have eaten from it as long as the world remains. I also saw the Hell-fire and I had never seen such a horrible sight. I saw that most of the inhabitants were women." The people asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Why is it so?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Because of their ungratefulness." It was asked whether they are ungrateful to Allah. The Prophet said, "They are ungrateful to their companions of life (husbands) and ungrateful to good deeds. If you are benevolent to one of them throughout the life and if she sees anything (undesirable) in you, she will say, 'I have never had any good from you.' "

" Then he may choose any supplication which pleases him."

" Then he may choose any supplication which pleases him or which he likes."

We were sitting with the Apostle (ﷺ) in prayer, and the rest of the hadith is the same as narrated by Mansur He (also said): After (reciting tashahud) he may choose any prayer.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught me tashahhud taking my hand within his palms, in the same way as he taught me a Sura of the Qur'an, and he narrated it as narrated above.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed, bowing four times, and he recited loudly, and every time he raised his head he said: "Sami Allahu liman hamidah. Rabbana wa lakal-hamd (Allah hears those who praise Him, Our Lord to You be praise.)."

"The sun eclipsed during the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed and stood for a long time, then he bowed for a long time, then he stood up and (remained standing) for a long time." (One of the narrators) Shu'bh said: "I think he said something similar concerning prostration."- "He started weeping and blowing during his prostration and said: 'Lord, You did not tell me that You would do that while I am asking You for forgiveness; You did not tell me that You would do that while I was still among them.' When he finished praying he said: "Paradise was shown to me, and if I had stretched forth my hand I could have taken some of its fruits. And Hell was shown to me, so I started blowing for fear that its heat might overwhelm you. I saw therein the thief who stole the two camels of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ); and I saw therein the brother of Banu As-Du'du; the thief who stole from the pilgrims, and when he was caught he said: The crooked stick did it; and I saw therein a tall black woman who was being punished because of a cat she tied up and did not feed or give it water, and she did not let it eat of the vermin of the earth, until it died. Then sun and the moon do not become eclipsed for the death or birth of anyone, but they are two of the signs of Allah. If one of them becomes eclipsed'- or he said: 'if one of them does anything like that'- 'then hasten to remember Allah, the Mighty and Sublime.'"

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed during an eclipse. He stood for a long time, then he bowed for a long time, then he stood up and (remained standing) for a long time, then he bowed for a long time, then he stood up, then he prostrated for a long time, then he stood up and (remained standing) for a long time, then he bowed for a long time, then he stood up, then he prostrated for a long time, then he sat up, then he prostrated for a long time, then he sat up and then he finished."

He heard Abbad bin Tamim said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out and prayed for rain, and he turned his rida' around when he turned to the Qiblah."

The rain fell on the day of 'Id (festival) , so the Prophet (ﷺ) led them (the people) in the 'Id prayer in the mosque.

"He turned around his cloak, putting its right side on his left shoulder and its left side on his right shoulder. Thereafter he made supplication to Allah."

A man who witnessed the Prophet (ﷺ) reported to me that he saw the Prophet (ﷺ) praying at Ahjar al-Zait spreading his hands.

"The Messenger of Allah went out with the people to seek rain. So he led them in prayer for two Rak'ah, reciting aloud in them, turning his upper wrap around, raising his hands, requesting rain, and facing the Qiblah."

"Al-Walid bin Uqbah, the governor of Al-Madinah, sent me to ask Ibn Abbas about how the Messenger of Allah would perform Salat Al-Istisqa. I came to him and he said: 'The Messenger of Allah would go out in modest dress, humbly, imploring, until he reached the Musalla. He would not give this Khutbah of yours, rather, he would continue supplication and imploring saying the Takbir, and pray two Rak'ah, just as he would pray for the Eid.'"

"One of the chiefs* sent me to Ibn "Abbas to ask him about the prayer for rain. Ibn "Abbas said: "What kept him from asking me?' He said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out humbly, walking with a humble and moderate gait, imploring, and he performed two Rak'ah as he used to pray for "Eid, but he did not give a sermon like this sermon of yours.'"

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out one day to pray for rain. He led us in praying two Rak'ah without any Adhan or Iqamah, then he addressed us and supplicated to Allah. He turned to face the Qiblah, raising his hands, then he turned his cloak around, putting its right on the left and its left on the right."

"O Ka'b bin Murrah, narrate to us a Hadith from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), but be careful." He said: "A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, ask Allah for rain!' So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) raised his hands and said: "O Allah! Send wholesome, productive rain upon all of us, sooner rather than later, beneficial and not harmful.' No sooner had they finished performing Friday (prayer) but they were revived. Then they came to him and complained to him about the rain, saying: "O Allah, around us and not upon us.' Then the clouds began to disperse right and left."

Seven, eight or nine people, including myself, were with Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on an occasion when he (ﷺ) remarked, "Would you pledge allegiance to Messenger of Allah?" As we had taken oath of allegiance shortly before, we said, "We have already done so, O Messenger of Allah." He again asked, "Would you not pledge allegiance to Messenger of Allah?" So we stretched out our hands and said, "We have already made our pledge with you, O Messenger of Allah, on what should we make a pledge with you?" He said, "To worship Allah and not to associate anything with Him, to perform the five (daily) Salat and to obey." Then he added in a low tone, "And not to ask people for anything." Thereafter, I noticed that some of these people who were present did not ask anyone to pick up even the whip for them if it fell from their hands.

[Muslim].

While Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was on his pulpit (in the mosque) delivering a Khutbah (religious talk) about Sadaqah (charity) and begging, he said, "The upper hand is better than the lower hand, the upper hand is the one which gives and the lower hand is the begging one."

[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Begging is a cut that a person inflicts upon his face; except for asking a ruler, or under the stress of circumstances from which there is no escape."

[At- Tirmidhi].

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from Salih ibn Khawwat that Sahl ibn Abi Hathma related to him that the form of the prayer of fear was that the imam stood with a group of his companions, while another group faced the enemy. The imam prayed one raka with them, including the prostration, and then stood. He remained standing while they completed the remaining raka by themselves. They then said the taslim, left, and formed up opposite the enemy while the imam remained standing. Then the others who had not prayed came forward and said the takbir behind the imam and he prayed one raka with them, including the prostration. He then said the taslim, while they stood up and prayed the remaining raka by themselves. Then they said the taslim.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar, when asked about the fear prayer said, "The imam and a group of people go forward and the imam prays a raka with them, while another group, who have not yet prayed, position themselves between him and the enemy. When those who are with him have prayed a raka they draw back to where those who have not prayed are, and do not say the taslim. Then those who have not prayed come forward and pray a raka with him. Then the imam leaves, as he has now prayed two rakas. Everyone else in the two groups stands and prays a raka by himself after the imam has left. In this way each of the two groups will have prayed two rakas. If the fear is greater than that, then the men pray standing on their feet or mounted, either facing the qibla or otherwise."