His father said: "I asked Ibn 'Abbas how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed for rain. He said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out (dressed) in a state of humility, beseeching and humble. He sat on the minbar but he did not deliver a Khutbah like this Khutbah of yours, rather he kept supplicating, beseeching and saying the takbir, and he prayed two rak'ahs as he used to do during the two 'Eids.'"  

عَنْ صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي الاِسْتِسْقَاءِ فَقَالَ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مُتَبَذِّلاً مُتَوَاضِعًا مُتَضَرِّعًا فَجَلَسَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فَلَمْ يَخْطُبْ خُطْبَتَكُمْ هَذِهِ وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَزَلْ فِي الدُّعَاءِ وَالتَّضَرُّعِ وَالتَّكْبِيرِ وَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَمَا كَانَ يُصَلِّي فِي الْعِيدَيْنِ  

Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Kinanah reported: Al-Walid ibn Utbah or (according to the version of Uthman) al-Walid ibn Uqbah, the then governor of Medina, sent me to Ibn Abbas to ask him about the prayer for rain offered by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out wearing old clothes in a humble and lowly manner until he reached the place of prayer. He then ascended the pulpit, but he did not deliver the sermon as you deliver (usually). He remained engaged in making supplication, showing humbleness (to Allah) and uttering the takbir (Allah is most great). He then offered two rak'ahs of prayer as done on the 'Id (festival). Abu Dawud said: This is the version of al-Nufail. What is correct is Ibn Utbah's  

عَنْ صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي الاِسْتِسْقَاءِ فَقَالَ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مُتَبَذِّلاً مُتَوَاضِعًا مُتَضَرِّعًا حَتَّى أَتَى الْمُصَلَّى زَادَ عُثْمَانُ فَرَقِيَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ ثُمَّ اتَّفَقَا وَلَمْ يَخْطُبْ خُطَبَكُمْ هَذِهِ وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَزَلْ فِي الدُّعَاءِ وَالتَّضَرُّعِ وَالتَّكْبِيرِ ثُمَّ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَمَا يُصَلِّي فِي الْعِيدِ  

"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.'"  

عَنِ اسْتِسْقَاءِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَرَجَ مُتَبَذِّلاً مُتَوَاضِعًا مُتَضَرِّعًا حَتَّى أَتَى الْمُصَلَّى فَلَمْ يَخْطُبْ خُطْبَتَكُمْ هَذِهِ وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَزَلْ فِي الدُّعَاءِ وَالتَّضَرُّعِ وَالتَّكْبِيرِ وَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَمَا كَانَ يُصَلِّي فِي الْعِيدِ  

His father said: "I asked Ibn 'Abbas how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed for rain. He said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out (dressed) in a state of humility, beseeching and humble. He sat on the minbar but he did not deliver a Khutbah like this Khutbah of yours, rather he kept supplicating, beseeching and saying the takbir, and he prayed two rak'ahs as he used to do during the two 'Eids.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1508)  

عَنْ صَلَاةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي الِاسْتِسْقَاءِ فَقَالَ «خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مُتَبَذِّلًا مُتَوَاضِعًا مُتَضَرِّعًا فَجَلَسَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فَلَمْ يَخْطُبْ خُطْبَتَكُمْ هَذِهِ لَكُنْ لَمْ يَزَلْ فِي الدُّعَاءِ وَالتَّضَرُّعِ وَالتَّكْبِيرِ وَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَمَا كَانَ يُصَلِّي فِي الْعِيدِ»  

His father said: "I asked Ibn 'Abbas how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed for rain. He said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out (dressed) in a state of humility, beseeching and humble. He sat on the minbar but he did not deliver a Khutbah like this Khutbah of yours, rather he kept supplicating, beseeching and saying the takbir, and he prayed two rak'ahs as he used to do during the two 'Eids.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1508)  

عَنْ صَلَاةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي الِاسْتِسْقَاءِ فَقَالَ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «مُتَبَذِّلًا مُتَوَاضِعًا مُتَضَرِّعًا فَجَلَسَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فَلَمْ يَخْطُبْ خُطْبَتَكُمْ هَذِهِ وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَزَلْ فِي الدُّعَاءِ وَالتَّضَرُّعِ وَالتَّكْبِيرِ وَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَمَا كَانَ يُصَلِّي فِي الْعِيدِ»  

[Machine] reported to have asked the Prophet ﷺ about his prayer during the prayer for rain. The Prophet ﷺ replied, "No, but your cousin sent you. Even if he had sent someone else, he would have asked about it. Then Ibn Abbas said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out looking humble and supplicating until he sat on the pulpit. He did not give a sermon like yours, but he continued to make supplications, humble himself, and recite takbeer. Then he prayed two Rak'ahs as he used to pray on Eid." This is the narration of Ibrahim ibn Musa and the narration of Yahya ibn Yahya with its meaning, except that Al-Walid ibn Utbah said, "Abu Dawud As-Sijistani considered Ibn Utbah's saying as correct. May Allah have mercy on him." This narration suggests that his supplication was before the prayer and he did not stop making supplications.  

عَنْ صَلَاةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي الِاسْتِسْقَاءِ فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّا تَمَارَيْنَا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فِي صَلَاةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي الِاسْتِسْقَاءِ فَقَالَ لَا وَلَكِنْ أَرْسَلَكَ ابْنُ أَخِيكَ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُ أَرْسَلَ فَسَأَلَ مَا كَانَ بِذَاكَ بَأْسٌ ثُمَّ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مُتَبَذِّلًا مُتَوَاضِعًا مُتَضَرِّعًا حَتَّى جَلَسَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فَلَمْ يَخْطُبْ كَخُطْبَتِكُمْ هَذِهِ وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَزَلْ فِي الدُّعَاءِ وَالتَّضَرُّعِ وَالتَّكْبِيرِ وَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَمَا كَانَ يُصَلِّي فِي الْعِيدِ لَفْظُ حَدِيثِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مُوسَى وَحَدِيثُ يَحْيَى بْنِ يَحْيَى بِمَعْنَاهُ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ قَالَ الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ عُتْبَةَ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ السِّجِسْتَانِيُّ الصَّوَابُ ابْنُ عُتْبَةَ قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ وَهَذَا الْحَدِيثُ يُوهِمُ أَنَّ دُعَاءَهُ كَانَ قَبْلَ الصَّلَاةِ وَقَدْ