3. Istisqāʾ (Asking for Rain) Prayer
٣۔ كتاب الاستسقاء
There was an eclipse of the sun in the time of the Prophet ﷺ. He began to pray a series of pairs of rak'ahs enquiring about the sun (at the end of them) till it became clear.
كُسِفَتِ الشَّمْسُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَجَعَلَ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَيَسْأَلُ عَنْهَا حَتَّى انْجَلَتْ
There was an eclipse of the sun in the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up and he was not going to perform bowing till he bowed; and he was not going to raise his head till he raised (after bowing); and he was not going to prostrate himself till he prostrated himself; and he was not going to raise his head till he raised (at the end of prostration); he did similarly in the second rak'ah, he then puffed in the last prostration saying; Fie, Fie! He then said: My Lord, didst Thou not promise me that Thou wouldst not punish them so long as I will remain among them? Didst Thou not promise me that Thou will not punish them so long as they continue to beg pardon of Thee. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ finished the prayer, and the sun was clear. The narrator then narrated the tradition (in full).
انْكَسَفَتِ الشَّمْسُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمْ يَكَدْ يَرْكَعُ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ فَلَمْ يَكَدْ يَرْفَعُ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ فَلَمْ يَكَدْ يَسْجُدُ ثُمَّ سَجَدَ فَلَمْ يَكَدْ يَرْفَعُ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ فَلَمْ يَكَدْ يَسْجُدُ ثُمَّ سَجَدَ فَلَمْ يَكَدْ يَرْفَعُ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ وَفَعَلَ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الأُخْرَى مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ نَفَخَ فِي آخِرِ سُجُودِهِ فَقَالَ أُفْ أُفْ ثُمَّ قَالَ رَبِّ أَلَمْ تَعِدْنِي أَنْ لاَ تُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنَا فِيهِمْ أَلَمْ تَعِدْنِي أَنْ لاَ تُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ فَفَرَغَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ صَلاَتِهِ وَقَدْ أَمْحَصَتِ الشَّمْسُ وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ
During the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) I was shooting some arrows when an eclipse of the sun tok place. I, therefore , threw them (the arrows) away and said: I must see how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ acts in a solar eclipse today. So I came to him; he was standing (in prayer) raising his hands, glorifying Allah, praising Him, acknowledging that He is the only Deity, and making supplication till the sun was clear. He then recited two surahs and prayed two rak'ahs.
بَيْنَمَا أَنَا أَتَرَمَّى بِأَسْهُمٍ فِي حَيَاةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذْ كُسِفَتِ الشَّمْسُ فَنَبَذْتُهُنَّ وَقُلْتُ لأَنْظُرَنَّ مَا أُحْدِثَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي كُسُوفِ الشَّمْسِ الْيَوْمَ فَانْتَهَيْتُ إِلَيْهِ وَهُوَ رَافِعٌ يَدَيْهِ يُسَبِّحُ وَيُحَمِّدُ وَيُهَلِّلُ وَيَدْعُو حَتَّى حُسِرَ عَنِ الشَّمْسِ فَقَرَأَ بِسُورَتَيْنِ وَرَكَعَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ