Chapter on the Prayer for Seeking Rain

And it is narrated from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, that He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: “When Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Exalted, becomes angry with a nation, yet does not send punishment upon it, their prices rise, their lifespans become short, their merchants do not profit, their fruits do not increase, their rivers lose sweetness, their rains are withheld, and their wicked ones are given authority over them.”

Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar from Muhammad ibn Isa, from Uthman ibn Isa, from Hammad al-Sarraj: Muhammad ibn Khalid sent me to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, to ask Imam عليه السلام: “The people have persistently asked me regarding seeking rain (istisqa), what is your opinion about going out tomorrow (to seek rain)?” So I conveyed this to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him. Imam عليه السلام said: “Say to him (ibn Khalid); This is not how istisqa is to be done. Say to him (ibn Khalid); He should go out and deliver a sermon to the people and command them to fast today and tomorrow and then on the third day, he should go out with them, while they are fasting.” He (al-Sarraj) said: “So I went to Muhammad (ibn Khalid) and informed him of the words of Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him. So he (ibn Khalid) went and delivered a sermon to the people and commanded them to fast, just as Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, had said. Then, on the third day, he (ibn Khalid) sent to Imam عليه السلام asking: “What is your opinion about going out (today)?”

Al-Husayn ibn Said from Safwan, from Abdillah ibn Bukayr, who said: I heard Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, say regarding istisqa (the prayer for seeking rain); “He prays two rak’ahs, then turns his cloak placing what is on his right side to his left, and what is on his left side to his right and he supplicates to Allah سبحانه وتعالى and seeks rain.”

Muhammad ibn Yaqub from Ali ibn Ibrahim, from Muhammad ibn Isa, from Yunus, from Muhammad ibn Muslim, and al-Husayn ibn Muhammad from Abdillah ibn Amir, from Ali ibn Mahziyar, from Fadalah ibn Ayyub, from Ahmad ibn Sulayman, all from Murrah, the mawla (client) of Khalid, who said: The people of Madinah cried out to Muhammad ibn Khalid concerning istisqa (seeking rain), so Khalid said to me (Murrah): “Go to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, and ask Imam عليه السلام; ‘What is your opinion? For these people have turned to me.’” So I came to Imam عليه السلام and conveyed to him what Khalid said to me. Imam عليه السلام said to me: “Say to Khalid; ‘Let him go out.’” I asked Imam عليه السلام: “When should he go out, may I be your ransom?” Imam عليه السلام said: “On Monday.” I asked Imam عليه السلام: “How should he do it?” Imam عليه السلام said: “He should bring out the pulpit, then he should go out walking, just as he goes out on the two Eids, with the callers to prayer (mu’adhdhins) going before him, holding their staffs in their hands. When he reaches the place of prayer (musalla), he should lead the people in two rak’ahs, without any adhan or iqamah. Then he should ascend the pulpit and turn his cloak, placing what is on his right side to his left, and what is on his left to his right. Then he should face the qiblah and proclaim ‘Allahu Akbar’ one hundred times, raising his voice with it. Then he should turn to the people on his right and proclaim ‘SubhanAllah’ one hundred times, raising his voice. Then he should turn to the people on his left and proclaim ‘La ilaha illa Allah’ one hundred times, raising his voice. Then he should face the people and praise Allah سبحانه وتعالى (‘Alhamdulillah’) one hundred times. Then he should raise his hands and supplicate, and then the people should supplicate. For indeed, I hope that they will not be disappointed.” He (the narrator) said: “So Khalid did as instructed. And when we returned, the people said: ‘This is from the teachings of Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon him.’”

And from him, from Ali ibn Ibrahim, from his father, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Hisham ibn al-Hakam, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I asked Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام about the prayer of ‘al-Istisqa’ (the prayer for rain). Imam عليه السلام said: “It is like the (prayer of) two Eid prayers. In both of them, recitation is done and takbirs are pronounced. The Imam goes out and appears in a clean place with calmness, dignity, humility, and supplication. The people go out with him. Then he praises Allah سبحانه وتعالى, glorifies Him عز وجل, and extols Him عز وجل, and strives earnestly in supplication and increases in tasbih (‘Subhanallah’), tahlil (‘La ilaha illallah’), and takbir (‘Allahu Akbar’). Then he performs a prayer like the Eid prayer, two rak’ahs with supplication, entreaty, and striving (in prayer). Then when the Imam finishes (with salam), he turns his garment inside out and places the side that was on the right shoulder onto the left shoulder, and the one that was on the left shoulder onto the right shoulder for indeed the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, peace be upon him and his family, did so.”

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub, from Ali ibn al-Sindi, from Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Said, from Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Sayrafi, from Muhammad ibn Sufyan, from a man, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: I asked Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام about the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, turning his cloak inside out when He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم prayed for rain (istisqa). Imam عليه السلام said: “It was a sign between Him صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and his companions, by which drought would be turned into abundance.”

From him, from Muhammad ibn Khalid al-Barqi, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Abu al-Bakhtari, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, from his father عليه السلام, from Imam Ali عليه السلام, peace be upon him, that he said: Imam Ali عليه السلام said: “The established Sunnah is that the prayer for rain (istisqa) is not performed except in open lands, where people can look towards the sky, and it is not performed in mosques except in Mecca.”

Al-Husayn ibn Said, from Safwan, who informed me: Musa ibn Bakr or Abdullah ibn al-Mughirah, from Talhah ibn Zayd, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, from his father عليه السلام, peace be upon him: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “Indeed, the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, prayed two rak’ahs for al-Istisqa (the prayer for rain), and He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم began with the prayer before the sermon. He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم pronounced takbir seven times and then five times, and He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم recited aloud.”

Al-Husayn ibn Said, from Fadalah, from Aban, from Ishaq ibn Ammar, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “The sermon in the prayer for rain (al-Istisqa) is before the prayer, and he pronounces takbir seven times in the first rak’ah and five times in the second.”

It has been narrated from the Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام, peace be upon him: Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام, delivered this sermon during the prayer for rain (salat al-istisqa), and Imam عليه السلام said: “All praise is due to Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Bestower of complete blessings, the Remover of sorrow, the Creator of souls, the One who made the heavens as supports for His عز وجل Throne, ‘and the mountains as pegs’ (Surah An Naba 78:7), And the earth as a resting place for His عز وجل servants, and His عز وجل angels ‘upon its edges’ (Surah Al Haqqah 69:17), and the bearers of His Throne upon its bounds. And by His عز وجل might, He عز وجل upheld the pillars of the Throne, and with His عز وجل light, He عز وجل caused the rays of the sun to shine, and by His عز وجل radiance, He عز وجل extinguished the darkness of the dense gloom. And He عز وجل caused the earth to gush forth with springs, and ‘the moon as a light’ (Surah Yunus 10:5), and the stars as radiant bodies. Then He عز وجل rose and took His عز وجل place, and He عز وجل created and perfected, and He عز وجل established and reigned supreme, so that the pride of the arrogant was humbled before Him عز وجل, and the desperation of the destitute sought from Him عز وجل. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, by Your elevated rank, and Your fortified station, and Your all-reaching bounty, and Your vast path, I ask You عز وجل to send blessings upon (Prophet) Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and the family of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, just as He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم submitted to You عز وجل, and called towards Your worship, and fulfilled Your covenants, and executed Your commands, And followed the signs You عز وجل had set forth, Your servant, Your Prophet, and Your trustee over Your covenant to Your servants, the one who upheld Your rulings, supported those who obeyed You عز وجل, And cut off the excuses of those who disobeyed You عز وجل. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, make (Prophet) Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, the one with the greatest share of Your mercy, the most radiant of those whose faces shine with the showers of Your generosity, He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم is the closest of the Prophets to You عز وجل in rank on the Day of Resurrection, the one with the greatest portion of Your pleasure, and the one whose community has the most rows in Your gardens, as He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم never prostrated to stones, nor did He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم dedicate himself in retreat to trees, nor did He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم deem the taking of captives lawful, nor did He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم drink blood. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, we have come out to You عز وجل at a time when harsh constraints have suddenly overtaken us, when hard imprisonments have driven us to You عز وجل, when the bonds of disgrace have gripped us, and the traces of falsehood have become firmly rooted upon us, and the harsh trials of the years have closed in on us, and the signs of generosity have failed us, and we have thirsted for the pouring down of sustenance. Yet You عز وجل, were the hope of the despondent and the trust of the seeker. We call upon You عز وجل at a time when humanity has despaired, when the clouds have been withheld, and when the livestock have perished. O’ Ever-Living, O’ Sustainer, by the number of the trees and the stars, and the ranks of angels, and the veiled clouds, do not return us disappointed, and do not take us to account for our deeds, and do not hold us liable for our sins. Spread over us Your mercy through the driven clouds and the flourishing plants, and bestow upon Your servants the variety of fruits, and revive Your lands through the blossoming of flowers. And make Your noble angelic scribes witnesses to a rainfall from You عز وجل beneficial, lasting, abundant in flow, vast in descent, a pouring and heavy rain, swift and immediate, through which You عز وجل revive what has died, and restore what has passed, and bring forth by it what is yet to come. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, grant us a pouring rain, abundant and widespread, thundering and continuous, with waves beating, with springs gushing, with lightning flashing and trembling, with flowing streams and generous outpour, its descent copious and overflowing. Do not make its shade upon us a scorching wind, nor its cold upon us a destructive storm, nor its light upon us a pelting fire, nor its water salty and bitter, nor its vegetation ash-like and lifeless. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, we seek refuge in You عز وجل from polytheism and its ways, from injustice and its consequences, from poverty and its motives. O’ Giver of goodness from its sources, O’ Sender of blessings from their treasures from You عز وجل is the rain that brings aid, and You عز وجل are the Helper, the One Whom we seek for aid, and we are the sinners, the people of faults, and You عز وجل are the One whose forgiveness is sought, the Most Forgiving. We seek Your forgiveness for the ignorant sins we have committed, and we repent to You عز وجل for the grave of our misdeeds. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, so send upon us a gentle, steady, plentiful rain, and water us with a sustaining, copious downpour, a wide and expansive rainfall and a blessing from the heavy rain, beneficial, that drives drops upon drops in succession, where each drop follows another, Make it not a deceptive flash in its lightning, nor a false rumble in its thunder, and not with violent winds are its flanks. Rather, it is a refreshing rain, so abundant that even the clouds are overwhelmed by its abundance. Its clouds pour forth and its skies surrender, its mist flows across the horizons, and the signs of its showers spread throughout. A rainfall from You عز وجل that is life-giving, quenching, abundant, overflowing, whose plants are pure, whose crops are growing, whose branches are lush, whose yield is abundant, whose effects are spread across the lands with fertility and goodness upon its people. By it, You عز وجل revive the weak among Your servants, and You عز وجل bring life to the dead among Your lands, and You عز وجل bless with it the extended portions of Your sustenance, and You عز وجل bring forth with it the hidden treasures of Your mercy, and You عز وجل extend it even to those far from among Your creation, until those in drought are enriched by its abundance, and those suffering are revived by its blessing, and the pools in the lowlands overflow, and the flowers bloom on the peaks of the hills, and the trees grow thick upon the slopes of the hills, and after despair, it becomes worthy of gratitude as a favor from among Your enveloping favors, and a blessing from among Your abundant blessings bestowed upon Your hopeful creation, and upon Your thirsty lands, and upon Your laboring animals, and upon Your neglected wild creatures. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, from You عز وجل is our hope, and to You عز وجل is our return. So do not withhold it from us because of what You عز وجل know of our inner selves, and do not hold us accountable for what the foolish among us have done. For indeed, ‘You send down the rain after they have despaired, and You عز وجل spread Your mercy. And You are the Guardian, the Praiseworthy.’ (Surah Ash Shura 42:28)” Then Imam Ali عليه السلام, peace be upon him, wept and said: “My Master عز وجل, our mountains have dried and cracked, our land has turned dusty and grey, our animals have wandered in distress, and some among us or those among them have despaired. The cattle have gone astray and become confused in their pastures. They cry out like a grieving mother mourning her child. They have grown weary of roaming in their grazing fields, while You عز وجل have withheld from them the drops of the sky. Their bones have become fragile from weakness, their flesh has vanished, their fat has melted away, and their milk has ceased. O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, have mercy on the groaning of the groaner, and the yearning of the yearning one. Have mercy on their confusion in their pastures, and their moaning in their resting places.”